In today’s business world, almost all companies are reliant on access to the internet. A delay in internet access or temporary shut down of the network costs businesses millions of dollars in lost work and opportunity. Because of this, many businesses choose to access the internet through T1 internet service. T1 internet service, which is also known as truck level 1 internet service, has been around for over 50 years and is much more reliable than business cable internet service. T1 internet service often comes with professional installation and 24/7 technical support.
Because of its reliability in comparison to other forms of internet service, T1 internet service is quite expensive and is not affordable for many businesses. Luckily, there are ways of obtaining cheaper T1 internet service which improve a company’s bottom line. The steps and consideration which should be taken when looking for a cheap T1 internet service are listed as follows:
Compare Prices of T1 Internet Service Providers
The first step in obtaining cheap T1 internet service is to compare prices of T1 internet service providers. Most T1 internet service providers will have detailed information regarding their pricing structure, which takes into consideration the bandwidth desired and the amount of computers onsite that require the use of T1 service. The rates per computer tend to go down with bulk orders. Be sure to check with various T1 providers to see who offers the best rates.
After obtaining the rates from various providers, the business can better negotiate a discount. Many of these providers are willing to offer discounts on higher bandwidth, give access to a certain amount of computers for free, offer free installation, and offer free 24/7 technical support. May providers also offer introductory offers which may give T1 service at a large discount for a short period of time. After the introductory period is over, many T1 service providers will be willing to negotiate the service rate in order to keep a business as a customer.
Consider Bandwidth Needed
The next step in obtaining cheap T1 internet service is to consider the bandwidth needed. Bandwidth is the speed of the internet and is also one of the largest drivers of the cost of the internet. Most T1 internet service providers offer a maximum bandwidth of up to 1.5 megabits per second (MPS). While this is the most powerful level of bandwidth and provides the best internet service, it is not needed for many businesses. This is ideal for businesses that have hundreds of employees using the same service and spend much of their time on the internet.
A small business who only needs to use the internet for a fraction of their time could get away with selecting a service that offers a much lower bandwidth. Fractional bandwidth options of 386 kilobytes per second (KPS), 512 KPS, and 786 KPS are available through most T1 internet service providers. The business will benefit from consulting with the T1 provider to ensure they get the right service to meet their business needs. If the business selects a bandwidth option and feels they either need more or less power, they can change their service upon request.
Read Consumer Reviews of T1 Service Providers
Another way that saves money on T1 internet service is reading consumer reviews about T1 service providers. Consumer reviews are an excellent source of finding out which T1 internet service providers provide the fastest internet, the best technical support, and have the best history of avoiding service shutdowns. These reviews are very important because having the best service possible which avoids shutdowns and provides fast internet speeds saves businesses millions of dollars.
Furthermore, the consumer should ensure the T1 internet service provider is in strong financial standing. With many businesses cutting back on costs, the more expensive internet service has been one of the first expenses to go. This has put a financial strain on T1 internet service providers. Since T1 equipment installation can be expensive selecting a provider is a bit of an investment. Because of this, the business should not select a provider who may go out of business because recouping the initial installation and equipment fee won’t be easy if the company files for bankruptcy.
In conclusion, many businesses require access to a fast and reliable internet service in order to operate their business efficiently. Because of this, many businesses choose T1 internet service over cable based internet service which can be slow and has frequent loss of connection. While T1 internet service is the best option for many businesses, its additional expense can be too much for many small businesses. Luckily there are several ways to reduce the costs associated with T1 internet service. The steps which should be taken to get cheap T1 internet service are as follows: compare prices of T1 internet service providers, consider bandwidth needs, and read consumer reviews of T1 service providers.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 at 3:47 pm and is filed under Internet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.