T1 Providers
The number of T1 providers has jumped since deregulation in 1996 from
a few dozen to several thousand. Currently, many of these companies are
trying to stay afloat by capturing as many customers as possible with
inexpensive products they claim to be T1. Many of the desperate companies
are putting together inferior products that they claim are T1
products. Some products with unfamiliar titles means that the provider
will put a single T1 connection in a CO. it also might mean that they
sell T1 connections to 3 or 4 customers hoping they don't all use the
service at the same time.
For clients with high-speed
Internet connections, broadband phone companies provide unlimited calling
options over an Internet
connection at prices lower then any service has ever offered. High-speed
access is required to use this service but for those with broadband, unlimited
calling plans now start at 19.95 a month including calls to Canada along with
one provider that includes unlimited calling to Western Europe at a price point
under 20 dollars a month. The providers featured offering this type of service
include Packet8, iConnectHere, Lingo, Vonage, MyPhoneCompany and Opex
Internet Voice are clearly the leaders in the consumer industry.
T1 access means dedicated access to the internet and you always have access to
1.54Mbps. In addition, make sure your T1 product is a clear channel product and
is not shared with other users. In addition, make sure you have an SLA or Service
Level Agreement from your provider. A SLA will specify the access you will receive
and the penalty the service provider will pay if they do not provide such service.
If you need help establishing the proper SLA seek the help of a professional
if you do not have one in house. It is much better to pay a small fee up front
than to enter a long-term contract with an inferior carrier. You can also get
professional assistance free of charge by simply contacting one of the many T1
brokers on the internet.
Vonage was
the only provider that did not come out on top of any given category. While
they got exceptional to good ratings in each category nowhere did the Broad
Band Phone Giant come out as the best. This was not much of a surprise,
as the biggest companies in any service industry never tend to be the best
at any one thing. Instead, they focus on being consistent across
the board. Vonage was Very Good or better in all the categories save
for customer service where they could use the most improvement. All offered
rock bottom rates but Packet8 ranked
best for Quality of Service and tied with Lingo for
the lowest unlimited rates to the US and Canada. While edged out for Quality
of Service by Packet8, Lingo offered
more then acceptable quality and included unlimited calling to the US,
Canada and much of Western Europe at the sub 20 dollar price point offering
a truly unique pricing and value point. The features race was pretty
much a dead heat between most of the providers.
