A t3 connection is a point-to-point dedicated line that provides 672 64-Kbps voice or data channels or in other words 28 T1 lines. A T3 is used to transmit digital signals at 44.736 megabits per second and has enough bandwidth to transmit full-motion real-time video, and very large databases over a busy network. A T3 line would be installed as a major networking channel for a large corporation or university with high volume network traffic.

When you need more capacity, you often have to buy it in the next available increment, which may end up costing more than you want or can afford to spend. Worse yet, with current, "bursty" application requirements, the need for additional bandwidth can often be as temporary as it is critical. By providing flexible capacity, or "bandwidth on demand," service providers can help customers deal with variations in traffic, and with avoiding a high fixed monthly payment. True bandwidth-on-demand services should allow for a wide range in capacity.

Although anybody can purchase a burstable T3, this type of connection can be costly, even as costly as a full 45Mbps connections. Burstable lines can be found at their lowest cost at a colocation facility. At a colocation facility, or "colo", many users share a large OC3 or OC12 pipe. As a customer you will not have to pay for a the fixed cost of such a large pipe, but will have the benefit of being able to burst up to very high speeds if necessary. If you need the reliability of a large pipe fur busty traffic but don't have the capital consider a colo. If you have a steady volume and are consistent, you may consider keeping services in house and going with a T3 connection. Whether you're considering a colocations facility or a T3 to the door, make sure you use a broker to help guide you through the providers and plans available.

If you want T1 price quote in 2 seconds instead of 2 days, you need GeoQuote. Since telecom brokers have been online they have offered a valuable service. A broker will take your information and shop for pricing with carriers he or she is intimately familiar with. The problem is not the information you get back, the problem is when you get it back. Brokers can be as fast as 24 hours or as slow as 1 week. How do you speed up the process? Get a real-time quote and save yourself the wait!

While many brokers claim to get back to you quickly and some even claim to have real time quoting we have only come across one service that truly has real-time price quoting for dedicated services. Their mantra of "1.5Mbps in 1.5 seconds" is exactly what they deliver. The speed at which they offer the information is much like going to Expedia or Travelocity. When you want information now, get it from a broker that can deliver it to you now.

Online quoting for dedicated service will likely evolve into broker services much like the travel industry or the insurance industry. The complexity of the product and the geographic sensitivity of the pricing, however, has slowed this process. The only service we've found that truely offers a real-time quote is ShopforT1.com. While others may soon follow with this service these guys are truely ahead of the pack and will