The growth of, and subsequent dependance on, the world wide web has caused a dramatic increase in the need for reliable high bandwidth internet connections. Businesses and institutions require internet connectivity that is fast, reliable and cost effective. Digital Signal 3 (DS3) technology offers all three. For businesses with large scale online operations, and for institutions that require fast and secure data transfer and retrieval, DS3 is the answer to the connectivity question.
DS3 – The Basics
DS3 technology offers one of the fastest, non-optical, connections available for businesses and institutions. It allows for the transfer of data, voice and video at up to 45 Mbps. At it’s most basic, a DS3 connection is equivalent to 672 voice grade telephone lines, which is fast enough to transfer extremely large bundles of data at high speed, without any loss of information. DS3 lines are comprised of 28 T1 lines, each with a bandwidth of 1.5 Mbps. DS3 connections are most commonly used as the network backbone for large corporations, universities and research centers where high volume network traffic is the norm. DS3 technology is also perfect for call centers, video conferencing centers, web hosting services, software developers and audio and video editing companies.
DS3 and Your Business
Mid to large sized offices and businesses will find the move to a DS3 connection offers the added speed and reliability that has been missing with their standard T1 service. As a business’ web presence grows, they need to look for the most cost effective ways of upgrading their internet service, and for many offices that means the introduction of DS3 technology. With a full 45 Mbps capacity, DS3 allows for the fast and secure transfer of data, voice and video with no loss of signal or information. For those business operations who greatly depend on the speed and reliability of their network for success, a full DS3 connection makes both practical and financial sense.
Larger institutions, such as medical facilities and universities, should also consider the added benefits of a DS3 connection. With multiple users all accessing both the internet and the internal network simultaneously, these institutions require the fast and secure data transfer that is a hallmark of DS3 technology. While a DS3 connection can easily handle up to 100 users accessing the internet at a time, all pulling sizable download requests, some larger institutions may want to consider bundling their DS3 connections for an even greater level of connectivity. This is especially beneficial for hospitals, research foundations and government offices with hundreds of employees all accessing the net simultaneously, and transferring large and vitally important bundles of data.
Smaller businesses should not feel left out of the DS3 equation. As businesses grow, and their need for faster and more reliable internet and networking services increase, they may find that their T1 connection is no longer adequate to their needs. While a full DS3 connection may be much more than they need at the moment, a fractional DS3 connection can offer the advanced speeds required for their upgrade, and at a discounted price that makes sense for their business at the time. Fractional DS3 connections are in essence full connections will a number of ports or lines disabled. This offers growing businesses the added speed and security they want, while providing them with the ability to easily upgrade their service when required. Most internet service providers offer fractional DS3 service to growing businesses, at a much discounted cost compared to a full DS3 line.
DS3 Cost Concerns
Charges for a DS3 connection typically consist of two monthly fees: the local loop fee and the port fee. The local loop charge is the cost of the physical dedicated circuit that provides DS3 access to the Local Exchange Carrier’s network. This charge is calculated according to the distance of the customer from the carrier’s network facilities. The port charge is calculated according to the desired service speed, with fees being calculated according to the number of active ports.
DS3 services are the next step up in any business’ computing network. For large businesses and institutions it means a vast improvement over their standard bundled T1 service. For smaller mid-sized businesses, DS3 can offer increased speed, flexibility and reliability at cost they can afford, all while laying the groundwork for future network expansion.