Finding the Right Broadband Provider

Written by:  Harry Butcher, ShopforT1.com, Independent Sales Agent & Broker - December 25, 2005

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 good telecommunications contract with a T1 provider for a reasonable amount of bandwidth or voice service, you will have to enter into a relatively long-term contract. Telecommunications contracts for T1's and T3's typically range from 1 year to 3 years. Anything longer than a 3-year contract is usually seen in very large applications like OC3, OC12, OC48, or complex Frame Relay connections with many nodes. While the term of the contract will not be a problem, if you have the right service provider, the term of the contract could prove extremely burdensome with the wrong service provider.

We suggest using a broker to help you walk through your options and show you the providers and services available in your area. 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 service providers to get the level of service that is right for you. The agent helps you steer clear of the bias you will receive when speaking with one vendor, as the independent sales agent will be paid no matter which service provider you choose. Since the independent sales agent does not work for a specific provider, like AT&T or Sprint, he or she will not push you in that direction if the service provider is not right for you.

Remember that the t1 provider you select will be your partner for quite some time so exercise caution when making 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 you recoup the damages of the lost calls and lost e-mails resulting from the poor service. When shopping for a T1 provider we suggest using a broker, an independent sales agent, and asking for referrals from current customers to give you an indication of what you can expect from that T1 service provider. Satisfied customers are generally the best indication that the T1 service provider is a good T1 provider and is right for your business.