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.

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.