T1 Consultation Is Important

Written by: Dennis Green - Jan 8, 2009

Deciding which T1 provider will best serve a customer can be a complex process. Consultation during this process can be invaluable. Especially, if this consultation is unbiased, free, and without obligation. T1consult provides free consultation, and because we are the authorized agent for all 20 of the top T1 providers in the country, our advice is without bias. Other, than our goal to ensure that the customer receives the best possible service, for the best possible price, we do not favor any one provider over the others. As we assist customers to determine which provider will best meet their needs, many factors are considered. Four of the most important of these factors include customer need, proximity of the customer to the provider, provider perception of competition from other providers, and services offered by the provider. T1 prices are significantly affected by the distance the customer is from the facilities of the provider. As a general rule, the closer the customer’s business is to the provider’s point of presence (PoP), the lower the price will be for their T1 service. The farther the customer is from the PoP of a provider, the higher the price will be. For this reason, T1 service can be very expensive in rural isolated areas. Regarding price, if a provider perceives that the customer will only be talking to them, or that the customer is unaware of the provider’s competition, then their prices can often be up to a few hundred dollars a month higher than they would be if the provider perceives that they are being compared to a competitive market. All providers which we represent, understand up front, that their offerings and prices are being compared to all other major providers, in real time, and on the same easy to read quote chart, with best prices listed first. For this reason, the same provider who might quote much higher if you go directly to them, will often provide much more competitive quotes, when they quote through us. It is also important to note that there are several types of T1 service. These include data (internet), local (local phone service), long distance voice, integrated, bonded T1, fractional, channelized integrated, dynamic integrated, frame relay, MPLS (multiprotocol label switching), and point-to-point. The type of T1 service which will best serve you, will depend on the specific needs of your business. Most T1 providers will specialize in a few of these types of T1, but most cannot offer all of them. Unfortunately, if you are working directly with a provider, and they are not able to provide the service you need, they will often attempt to convince you that you need a service they offer. In other words, providers are commonly biased toward the services they offer, rather than impartially recommending a service your company may actually need. Until our recent introduction of Geoquote, discerning which providers could offer the best prices for the service needed was an arduous process that could involve weeks of research. With Geoquote, however, any customer can obtain real-time comparative service availability, and pricing, for the top 20 T1 providers in the country, within seconds. With Geoquote, you simply list the product you are searching for with the address and phone number of your business, and instantly, you are provided availability and comparative price quotes, with no obligation to buy. To find Geoquote, go to the top of this page. Give it a try. Or, if you have additional questions, please call us directly. As mentioned earlier, our consultation is free, unbiased and with without obligation. (Click here to return to top of page)