At the most fundamental level, a t1 internet connection is the link from your companies data infrastructure to the rest of the world. A T1 connection is sometimes referred to as a "dedicated service" as the service is delivered to and from the customer premise from the CO (Central Office) without combining it with other traffic. A T1 connections is established by providing a "loop" or wire from the users premesis to the CO where the service provider has equipment. Part of the cost of a T1 is the "loop charge" or the monthly rental fee for the wire that is rented from the local phone company. Once the connection reaches the CO it can access the carriers network and reach any destination.

While understanding the service may be somewhat straightforward, getting the service implemented is not always so easy. Like any business decision, a switch in T1 providers should be properly researched. You probably don't have time to listen to all carriers sales pitches that you should in order to get the best service, however. Consider shopping in real time by using a broker at T1 Price Quote. While a broker is always a time saver in telecom shopping, the creators of Shop4T1.com have made it even easier to shop for T1 service by introducing the first real-time bandwidth and loop calculator.

With real-time information you'll be able to quickly analyze service plans in your area and determine what is right for you. The people at ShopForT1.com have created a system that equalizes the carriers and makes them easier to compare by laying them out side by side and showing the features of each service. Need more help? They also have agents that will assist you free of charge. These agents make their money when you sign with one of the many service providers so you don't have to worry about them pushing you into a contract that you don't want with a carrier that you don't want. Get your price, ask your questions and be certain when you make your choice.

While Dave Letterman may never read this list on his show, we've created a Top 10 list of California T1 Internet Providers. In our review of service providers we considered realiabiltiy, customer support, provisioning and financial stability. In our opinion a top provider of services will have a high rating in each of the catagories. Unfortunately some of the providers we found were regional providers and may not be near you but two of them are so good you may just want to move closer to be on their network!

The top company in our survey was Telepacific. The only downside to this company is the fact that they only offer service in California and Las Vegas. Telepacific received top marks in all four or our categories and is what we recommend most to customers in California. The second carrier in our list was USLEC. Like our fist pick USLEC is a regional player offering services in the south and on the eastern seaboard. USLEC was founded and is run by engineers. These people have a passion for getting it right and keeping their customers happy. Number three on our list is New Edge Networks. New Edge is a national player found predominantly in metro areas. New Edge is large enough to be a strong player but still small enough to treat customers like a small company.

Our number four position goes to Netifice, formerly Epoch. Again, a small Tier 1 player but excellent service nationwide. Number five position goesto ACC Business. Available everywhere in the continental US, ACC used the ATT network exclusively and provides a high level of service. Positions six through ten when in the following order: Telarus, Sprint, Xspedius, PNG, and Megapath. When looking for a reliable provider you should be comfortable with any of these. Make sure you speak to your broker about the strengths and weaknesses of each carrier. While our rankings were based evenly on the four criteria mentioned at the beginning of the article you may decide that some criteria are more important to you than others. Good luck in your search.