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Flexible Products, Lower Prices
Tuesday October 28, 2008,
04:40 am ET
MAXATAWNY, Pennsylvania, Oct. 28 /Jerome Jones/ --
Business broadband, its price, and who can afford it, are changing. Every day an increasing number
of business are finding the new broadband services made available to them by the "new" telecommunications
companies that are emerging from the latest round of mergers and acquisitions. Overlapping networks
are being consolidated into bigger and leaner footprints, lowering the cost of dynamic integrated
digital signal 1 (DS1) service to the price range of about five regular phone lines. Small to medium
size business can now afford services once reserved for the Fortune 1000 companies.
The Pennsylvania area is one place in particular where the analog to digital
revolution is gaining traction. One business owner we interviewed about
his recent decision to become a digital convert, Peter Anderson, explained
that "my biggest hindrance was my ignorance. Had I known that there was
a solution that would allow me to increase the number of voice lines,
get a full T1 (1.5 MB) of high-speed Internet, all for less than I was paying
for my POTS/DSL configuration, I would have made the move a long time ago."
Many others like Mr. Anderson are coming to the same conclusion.
Ultimately it all comes down to basic economics. Whenever a technology can offer
more features for less money that what businesses are currently paying, it's just
a matter of time before the flood gates open up with companies wanting to adapt
the new standard. According to the Telecommunications Research Institute, headquartered
in Miami, Florida, the mass migration to dynamic integrated service offerings
is only being held back by a lack of education and/or the ability of carriers to
reach their target market. "Most people are leery of advertising and solicitations
by phone company salesman." comment Bill Bradley, analyst.
To see how customers are reacting to this new product, we interviewed a series of
small business owners in Pennsylvania who are currently using the service. One such
individual shared with us his enthusiasm for the enhanced capabilities dynamic
service offers. "When I was first contacted about the dynamic integrated T1,
I was deeply skeptical of what I was hearing. Over the course of my brief
dealings with telephone companies, all I got was less service with more cost.
Now I am happy to say that I am getting more for less, which makes for one
very happy customer."
Expect innovation to continue on its upward spiral as the CLECs continue to expand
their footprints as well as their customer bases. Barring any funny stuff from the FCC,
the CLECs will be here to stay. Sorry Ma Bell.
With the help of super-CLECs like XO Communications, PAETEC, Nuvox, One Communications,
Cavalier Telephone, and TelePacific, small business owners everywhere now have access
to non-Bell service that is on par or better than those being offered by the former
Bells. Integrated T1s that do more and cost less have transformed into a solid beach
head for the newcomers.
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