An OC3 line is an ultra high-speed connection capable of transmitting data at rates up to 155 Mbps. Some ISP's, large corporations and universities with high-volume network traffic will require an OC3 if they have an extremely high volume of traffic that can't be handled by a DS3. An OC3 is so large that some ISP's use this as the backbone to their network. If you believe you're in the market for OC3 Service we recomend getting ahold of an expert.

While you may be an expert when it comes to network connections and data applications you will still want to have an expert by your side when it comes to pricing and negotiating for a connections. The expert to whom we refer is a broker or independent agent. In addition to being knowledgable of the technology a brokers expertice lies in his or her knowledge of carriers, their networks, their strengths and weakenesses and also in their relationship with sales managers and VP's at the companies. This means a better deal for you!

There is an opportunity to achieve significant cost reductions in your oc3 service. The key is using an expert broker. Brokers don't charge fees to the end user and they don't mark up the priceof the service. They are paid by the company which you sign with at the end. As the carrier doesn't have to pay an inside sales rep for the sale, they compensate the broker instead and maintain the same margin as though you went direct. Another advantage of the agent is the fact that he is paid on a residual basis. This means that he or she is interested in the longevity of your account and the level of your service.

Telecommunications contracts can be much like a marriage and as we all know there are good and bad marriages. The fact is, when you enter into a telecommunications contract with a T1 provider for reasonalble amount of bandwidth or voice service you will have to enter into a long term contract. Telecommunications contracts for T1's and T3's typically range from 1 years to 3 years. Anything longer than a 3 year contract is usually only seen in very large applicatons like OC3 and OC12 or complex frame relay connections with many nodes. While the term of the contract will not be a problem if you have the right provider, the contract could prove extrememly burdomsome with the wrong provider.

We suggest using a broker to walk you through your options and show you the providers and services available. A broker or independent agent can help reduce the time it takes you to shop around for a T1 provider by asking you the questions once 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. As the agent doesn't work with a specific provider like AT&T or Sprint, he or she will not push you in that direction if they are not right for you.

Remeber that the t1 provider you select will be your partner for quite some time so take caution in your decision. The worst part of being with a bad provider is the fact that it will affect your business. Dropped calls or an internet connection that goes down can be disastrous to a business. We found that the larger companies like AT&T and Sprint will release companies from long term contracts it if is shown that the voice or data T1 service was faulty on a regular basis, however the release from such a contract will not help recoup the damages of the lost calls and e-mails from the poor service. When shopping for a T1 provider we suggest using a broker and asking for referals from current customers to give you an indication of what you can expect.