DS3 vs Multiple T1 Lines
Bonding T1 lines for greater bandwidth is a good value up to about
8x or 9x bonding. Above that, it makes better economic sense to
order DS3 service over fiber or T3 copper line. In metropolitan
areas with high levels of buildout, the decision point may be
less than 8 T1 lines.
WAN Bottlenecks Now Readily
Unclogged
Your Wide Area Network or WAN may be the bottleneck in your network
when you have significant voice or data transfer between facilities.
With lower line prices available, unclogging the WAN can cost
less than you think and can unleash higher business productivity.
DS3, OCx over SONET and Carrier Ethernet connections are recommended
for the corporate WAN.
DS3 for Call Center Telephony
DS3 voice service can support up to 672 simultaneous telephone
conversations without blocking. If your call center or large corporate
PBX system requires this number of outside lines, DS3 is likely
far more cost effective than ordering the equivalent 28 T1 lines.
How Does DS3 differ from T3?
The terms DS3 and T3 are often used interchangeably. Both refer
to a TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) digital telecom service
operating at 45 Mbps. Strictly speaking, DS3 is the digital signal
level that can be carried by either copper or fiber physical links.
T3 is the T-Carrier standard for DS3 over coaxial copper service.
What is Fractional DS3 Service?
Fractional DS3, as the name implies, is a fraction of the full
DS3 bandwidth of 45 Mbps. Companies order fractional DS3 when
they don't need or want to pay for the full bandwidth offered
by DS3. Even with fractional DS3, you still need the full coaxial
or optical hardware support for 45 Mbps signaling. At low fractional
requirements, bonded T1 lines offer a more cost effective solution.