Looking for a t1 service provider is about as fun as looking for a used car. There are so many carriers and so many sales pitches you have to sit through just to get a piece of information. Tired of the used car salesman approach? An independent agent can help reduce the number ofconversations you have with carriers by asking you about your specific needs and searching through multiple providers to get the service that is right for you. The agent helps steer clear of the bias you will receive when speaking with one vendor as the agent will be paid no matter which service you choose. If you happen to be searching for a dedicated voice T1, the agent will give you quotes for dedicated voice T1's for multiple service providers.

While an agent can get you the information you're looking for without the pushy approach of a single carrier there is typically a delay between the time you have your conversation and the time you get your information. Agents and brokers can sometimes take several days to search the providers, send e-mails and get responses to your specific needs. The advantage, however, is that you don't have to do the searching you can go about you business and have someone else do this free of charge.

Want a step up from the average agent? An agent who carries no bias for one particular carrier AND gives immediate feedback! While this was not possible a few months ago, we have found a service that can offer real time information on many T1 service providers. A real time quote gives you information NOW. There is no waiting to find pricing. Simply enter your information and compare pricing immediately. Real time pricing will do for telecommunications shopping what Expedia and Travelocity did for travel. So why wait? If you're searching for a T1 line make sure you use a broker that can help you with your search in real time.

If a T1 service isn't enough to meet your needs, you can choose from the Tier 1 service providers' comprehensive t3 line (DS-3) service options. This high-speed line is offered in variables of up to 45 Mbps (from 3 Mbps to 45 Mbps or just 45 Mbps, depending on your needs) of continuous bandwidth so you can optimize the response time of your Web site, transfer large video files, or offer regional Internet access. We found 5 service providers that offer great plans. The first plan we found was with ACC Business. ACC uses the ATT network exclusively and is at the top when it comes to reliability. At ACC you'll get the realiability you would expect from ATT without the price.

Sprint also came up high in our review of T3 service plans. Sprint offers an incredible SLA (Service Level Agreement) with their service standing behind the product they offer 100%. While this may seem like something all providers do, further research will show that not all providers offer an SLA like Sprint. The third provider offering a great T3 plan is Telepacific. Unfortunately Telepacific is a regional player and only offers service in California and Las Vegas. Because of their focus they are extremely specialized and offer incredible customer support and reliability. If you're not in California you may consider moving there just to get this service!

The fourth plan we found and highly recommend is Telarus. Telarus is a reseller for Global Crossing, Qwest, and Wiltel. While you will get the value of the underlying provider you will not pay the price you would going in the front door. Telarus buys in bulk from these networks and transfers on the cost savings to its customers. Telarus is a virtual provider so you will not have extra hops to the network. You jump right on from your local CO and don't have to worry about extra latency! The final plan we suggest in our top 5 is Savvis. Savis offers Tier 1 service and highly reliable customer service. While they have a limited footprint, once you're on the network you'll have one of the best services around.