If a full T1 isn't in your budget, you need to consider a fractional t1 line. Why not get all the advantages of T1 even if your not in a market for a full T1? For many people the biggest factor in their decision is reliability and if reliability is critical to the applications you run over your connection you should seriously consider replacing your DSL connection with a fractional T1. DSL is a quick and cost effective method of acquiring high speed bandwidth however it is not intended to support commercial applications or large numbers of users as are T1 connections.

One drawback to fractional T1 service is the price. Even though you won't have a full T1 you will be paying quite a bit more than you did for your DSL connection. This is due to the structure of T1 pricing. 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. This loop is paid in full whether you use a fraction of the available bandwidth or the full 1.5Mbps and therefore your price for a 768Kbps fractional T1 connection will never be half the price of a 1.5mbps full T1 connection.

Although the price reduction is not what you might expect it to be, this may put a T1 in your budget and be a great way to get dedicated service into your building. Once you have fractional service upgrading to full service is easy. Fractional service typically comes in 256Kbps increments from 256Kbps all the way to a full T1 at 1.5Mbps. Find the service that's right for you, but if you are supporting critical services think reliability. Reliability becomes critical when customers or employees depend on your connection for immediate responses. If your customers use your connection to access your databases or your server or the internet then reliability of your connection is critical. If your employees depend on your connections because you host the e-mail server in house or host web servers or ASP type products, your connections is considered critical. A critical connection can be viewed much like a lifeline, without which your business would be negatively impacted.

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.