We offer telecom voice and data services from over 25 different providers to provide the exact type of service that best fits client’s requirements. So let’s take a look at service and some of the key players.History
Telephone and internet service has changed so much in the last 10 years. Prior to 1996, there were only the LECs (Local Exchange Carriers) such as AT&T to provide dial tone. High speed internet was limited to dialup over phone lines or costly ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) circuits and was not yet widely accepted as a viable medium for information and communication.
The types of services offered were pretty simple. You had analog or POTS lines (Plain Old Telephone Service) and digital or T-1 lines which were VERY expensive and only the large companies could afford them.
In 1996, the telecom act allowed for CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carriers) to access the LECs backbone and provide services to clients to create competition. These services are traditionally over T-1 but some still just resell the LECs POTS services. This brought the cost of T-1s down and added the benefit of cheap broadband or high speed internet services.
Services
As mentioned above, there are basically 2 types of services. You have Analog and Digital. Let’s break those down, hold on, this can get confusing but we will sort it all out.
Analog lines are just regular telephone lines. You have one line, one number associated with it. No more, no less. It now can be delivered over regular copper or via a T-1 which we will discuss in a moment. This was the preferred services for 90% of business since most telephone systems were too costly to add digital service connectivity. With copper lines, you could also add DSL onto that line and with filters installed could now share a line and have decent internet access.
Digital service, which comes in 2 flavors, trunks or PRI (Prime Rate Interface), was reserved for the enterprise companies since it was very costly to install, the phone systems were very expensive, and it took a very specialized vendor to maintain the systems. The advantage of this service is that you could have multiple phone numbers on a limited number of channels. Now, departments, executives, sales teams and the like could have their own dedicated DID (Direct Inward Dial) number so that clients could reach them directly. This also has been changed with the inclusion of cheaper phone system technology and the introduction of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology.
T-1 Architecture
Now let’s talk about the T-1. Prior to 1996, the T-1 was dedicated to either Trunk/PRI service or Data Connections. After 1996, companies developed methods to bring both services together on the same T-1 circuit. They could now provide analog lines and high speed data in dedicated increments to their clients.
What exactly is a T-1 and how does it work? A T-1 is a digital circuit with 24 channels assigned to it. Those channels are configured for either voice, analog or digital, or data. Each channel is equal to 64 Kbps which could give a company up to 1.54 Mbps worth of bandwidth or 24 voice lines.
In 2005, everything changed for T-1 service again. With the inclusion of VoIP technology, T-1 providers were able to provide a dynamic T-1 product to their clients. A dynamic T-1 is a flexible circuit that is primarily data. Voice services are then added onto the circuit with a higher priority so as a phone call is made, it decreases the data available. For example: A client gets a dynamic T-1 which gives them up to 1.54 Mbps on bandwidth. They also have 6 voice lines. The provider allows for 32 Kbps (half of a channel we discussed earlier) for the voice traffic. Each call then reduces the bandwidth by 32 Kbps. So in this scenario, a customer would actually only consume 3 channels for the 6 voice lines in use. Now, we have a great solution for larger customers that used to require 2 T-1s for voice and data. With a dynamic circuit, they can have 24 voice channels and still get up to 12 channels, or 768 Kbps, for data traffic, therefore reducing their monthly costs.
Finally the ability to bond these circuits together became a reality. Now clients can double or even quadruple their data bandwidth giving them more flexible services, more data access and still reducing costs.
So, if we haven’t completely confused the situation, we can throw in ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Providers) into the mix. They offer very low cost and effective voice services. All a client needs is a good broadband connection, a device to connect to the provider with such as an IP phone or the TVS and that is it. It can reduce hardware purchase costs as well as provide them with certain features that POTS lines cannot.
Telecom Providers
Who are some of the providers we work with? There are about 25 different providers that we can work with throughout the US. Regionally, we will discuss the providers that we feel, based on experience and service, are the best to deal with.
Nuvox Communications is our top pick for local providers of voice and data services. Their customer service is one of the highest ranked in the industry and their prices are very competitive. They have initiated some of the leading technology changes here in the southeast by offering a dynamic T-1, VoIP technology and roll over minutes on their long distance.
If you are looking for an enterprise solution for a larger customer, then XO Communications is who we would recommend. With their nationwide footprint, great customer service for the larger customer and dedication to service and product delivery, they are a clear leader.
Deltacom is another company we frequently recommend as they have some of the most competitive pricing today. Their solutions give clients the affordability they are looking for.
Paetec has a niche in that they will offer leasing credits toward the purchase of new phone systems with a service agreement. This sets them apart from the competition in this area. Their pricing is a little on the higher side but their service is reliable and they have good customer service.
AT&T is the LEC. For the smaller client that needs one or two lines and DSL, this is one recommendation.
Comcast is a new provider for voice services in our market. They bring VoIP technology to the forefront with their voice offering. Currently, they only offer analog voice services but their bandwidth surpasses DSL by leaps and bounds.
So how does CCSG fit into the overall picture? As consultants, we take the client’s best interest at heart and put their services out for bid based on their needs and criteria. Then, we present the client with several solutions and the pros/cons for each. This provides them a valued service since it frees up their time to concentrate on their business.
Also, with our TVS VoIP Phone System, we can interface with all providers and technologies giving them a complete communication solution.