DS3/T3 Dedicated Internet Service Providers Connection

What is a DS3 Dedicated Connection

A DS3/T3 dedicated connection provides high-speed DS3/T3 bandwidth of about 44.736 megabits per second delivered over fiber optic or coax cables.

DS3/T3 connections are used by larger businesses to provide dependable, dedicated DS3/T3 connections for Internet broadband services such as file sharing, hosting, data backup, VPN, and email.

A DS3/T3 bandwidth service connection supports data rates of about 44.736 megabits per second.

A dedicated T3 line consists of 672 individual channels, each supporting 64 Kbps.

The signals used in T3 carriers are called Digital Signal 3 or DS3. DS3 signals are primarily used by T3 Internet Providers (ISPs) connecting to the Internet backbone and for the backbone itself.

Today’s other primary DS3 users are high-traffic Web sites, medium to large Web-hosting companies, medical centers, call centers, universities, and government offices.

When using time division multiplexing, multiple T1 carriers multiplexes into higher-order carriers; 4 T1 channels multiplexed into 1 T2 channel.

Each T1 carrier can carry 1.544 megabits per second. So, a T2 carrier can take four times 1.544 megabits plus some additional bits for framing and recovery, i.e., approximately 6.312 megabits per second.

At the next level, 7 T2 streams are combined to form a T3 stream. Thus, T3 is 28 times higher than T1.

A DS3 has enough capacity to transmit full-motion real-time video and extensive databases over a busy network.

A DS3 signal would be a significant networking channel for a large corporation or university with high-volume network traffic.

Businesses should consider a dedicated T1 connection as the minimum to support VoIP and other data traffic—but when that starts to feel cramped, upgrading to a DS3 line (or a fraction of one) should solve a company’s bandwidth problems for a period.

DS3 lines, also called T3 lines, are not cheap.

Also, DS3 lines are more complex than T1 - technically, they run 28 T1 lines alongside one another, which takes extra equipment and software to work correctly.

DS3/T3 Fractional, Full or Burstable Connections

Fractional DS3:

In a fractional DS3 usage plan, a fraction of DS3 bandwith is available to the customer.

For example, a customer can avail 6 Mbps of bandwidth, which is just a fraction of 44.736 Mbps supported by DS3.

Full Rate DS3:

Full Rate DS3 Internet access service provides an unlimited dedicated T3 connection at about 45 Mbps to meet the needs of businesses with high bandwidth requirements.

Burstable DS3:

Burstable DS3 Internet access service provides a flexible, high-bandwidth solution to businesses with regular traffic patterns and periodic higher bandwidth requirements.

This Internet service offers the flexibility of paying for a lower, more predictable level of bandwidth without removing the capability to burst above the committed bandwidth level.

Some DS3 Providers

Major telecom providers typically offer a range of services and speeds, including DS3.

Some of the significant DS3 service providers are:

AT&T
Verizon
CenturyLink
Fusion connect
ACC Business (access to AT&T)

DS3/T3 Pricing

DS3/T3 service usually starts at $2,000/month and up, although prices are dropping as more and more users need DS3, and competition in this market is rising.

The number of companies offering DS3 services has exploded.

With more competition in the marketplace, service providers must reduce their T3 connection prices to attract customers and keep them from going to competitors.

A final reason for the reduction in DS3 pricing is that equipment costs and the cost of supplying the bandwidth have decreased; companies can provide the bandwidth at a lower cost.

The only factor likely to inhibit prices from falling much further is the "last mile" or the connection from the user’s premise to the service providers' POP (Point of Presence).

Use our instant pricing quote form for your ds3 or t3 pricing comparison, which has no obligation and is a free service.