An inexpensive and distance-sensitive high speed solution that provides Internet and telephone access on the same lines. While a standard dial-up connection transmits data at speeds up to 56,000 bits per second (56 Kbps), DSL speeds range from 384 Kbps to 1,500 Kbps. This is one of the more popular options for small businesses, supporting up to 20 employees who need only basic Internet applications like web surfing or e-mail.
Types of DSL Internet Service There are various types of DSL (referred to as xDSL). The two most common are Symmetrical DSL (SDSL) and Asymmetrical DSL (ADSL).
ADSL uses your existing copper phone lines to transmit data, but limits upload speeds to as little as one quarter of download speeds. SDSL is a more robust (and more costly) version of DSL that supports equivalent upload and download speeds. This is good for companies that regularly upload large files, but requires dedicated wiring.
The downsides of business DSL Reliability is the primary concern with DSL. On average, the uptime for DSL isn't as good as it is with a T1 connection. Service level agreements (SLAs) that ensure your connection will always be running are often not offered with DSL service. And while a DSL connection can support many simultaneous users for sending e-mail and surfing the web, it's not optimal for applications requiring a lot of bandwidth such as large file downloads or streaming video.
DSL prices vary depending on how close your business is to the business ISP's central offices. Prices, which are higher than residential DSL rates due to lower limits on subscribers per line, range from $30 to $250 for both initial setup and monthly service fees according to the bandwidth you choose. In addition to these flat rates, expect to pay additional charges for "bursting" -using more than your allotted bandwidth.
A high-speed option that uses the same connection as cable television. It offers data transfer speeds around 1.5 Mbps, but is not really considered a business-quality service. Because many people in your area share a cable network, performance dramatically decreases as multiple users go online at the same time. Also, many high-tech applications of broadband - VoIP and streaming video, for example - do not work well over cable.
A high speed internet access service that supports data connections up to 30 times as fast as a 56 Kbps dial-up modem with digitized voice capabilities over the same lines. This is the most popular option for small-to-medium-sized businesses with up to 50 employees, and can support all basic Internet functions as well as large file downloads and uploads.
Levels of T1 service
There are multiple flavors of T1 lines. At its most basic, a T1 line can be used to handle either your voice or data needs.
An integrated T1 line provides voice and data on the same digital circuit. With this service, you can decide how many of the T1 connection's 24 channels will be reserved for voice calls, and what's left is used for data.
You can also purchase a fractional T1 line, which provides only a portion of the total bandwidth. However, with prices of T1s as low as they have ever been, many companies are selecting full T1s because the price difference is almost negligible.
Another option to consider is burstable T1 - a type of "pay as you go" service where you pay for a specific amount of bandwidth you intend to use. If you exceed that amount, you can still tap into the ISP's total available bandwidth and pay a premium above your standard rates. Think of it as going over your allotted minutes on your cell phone plan. Pricing can be very expensive but could be worthwhile for companies that know their data traffic patterns and have highly seasonal activity. Consider investing in a full T1 - or multiple T1s - before looking into burstable options.
For even better speed and performance, ISPs offer bonded T1 lines. Bonded T1s allow you to use the full bandwidth of multiple T1 lines at once. For example, two bonded T1 lines can provide up to 3 Mbps of data transfer in a single connection. By combining the speeds of individual T1s into a single pipeline, you allow for more bandwidth than two separate T1 lines.
Standard T1 Internet prices include the phone company's local loop charge - typically $150 and up - the phone circuit that connects your location to the business ISP's point of presence (POP), and the Internet bandwidth access port. All in, monthly T1 prices range from $250 to $1,000 - expect to pay that much for initial setup as well. Pricing varies according to whether you select data, voice, or integrated service, and how many channels you wish to activate.
Fractional T1s can be obtained for as little as $100-$200 per month. Bonded T1s are typically priced at a multiple of a regular T1 line; 3 bonded T1 lines, for example, would cost $750 to $3,000 monthly.
A T3 line offers the combined bandwidth of 28 T1 lines - up to 43 megabits per second (1 Mbps=1000 Kbps). It's a good option for mid-sized to-large businesses with 100 or more employees. T3 lines run on fiber optic cable and can support 30,000 times the traffic of standard copper phone wires. While T3 is available in fractional increments like T1, it is more expensive than having multiple T1 lines bonded together to produce the same speed.
An alternate solution for customers who can't get DSL or cable service. Frame relay is fast and flexible and sends digital information between one or several destinations at T1 speeds. While the service is inexpensive, the equipment and setup can be quite pricy. It's not a recommended option for small-to-medium businesses.
Internet access using a satellite dish. This technology can be deterred by bad weather and the speeds can't handle large applications such as web site hosting, video conferencing or multiple file downloads. This is only a worthwhile option for very remote locations such as boats at sea.
WiMax stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, also known as the IEEE 802.16 standard. It currently acts like a wireless WAN using microwaves to connect Wi-Fi spots together within a range of about 30 miles. This technology is new, so details about it are bound to change quickly. It is not yet known if WiMax will replace WiFi, but it could have the ability to allow products to connect to the Internet and to each other in what is known as an ad-hoc network, which further blurs the distinctions between WAN and LAN. For the moment, I think it's best to view WiMax as a WAN technology.