> Today a nice solid fractional T1, powered by a reputable National > provider can be had for about the same price as the DSL connection > we started on - which wasn't a whole lot more than that Cable > connection you envision is going to cost you. Brent, if you know of any providers offering sub $500 T-1, which is what it sounds like you're saying, please direct me to URLs of companies offering same; I've not seen one yet that's not fraught with fine-print that makes it much more expensive in the long run. I've been trying to find such a connect (anywhere) for some time.
I used to work for a subsidiary of a Telephone company. We paid about 4 cents per minute for long distance and there was a good profit made on that. For a T1 circuit provided by the local telco, regardless of who the carrier was, we paid $400 per month loop charge. This does not count any service. Just the loop charge. You can get away without paying that if you are in a building with someone like Winstar or Teligent ( I think both are in bankruptcy now - I know Winstar is). They put a switch in the building and come into it with either fiber optic or wireless. They can then give you the service without the loop charge. We had a partial (400k) T1 from Winstar and good service for I think it was $200 per month. After I left I was told they offered a full T1 for $400 per month. This was about the time they filed bankruptcy. They put in a lot of capacity and no one was using it. I don't know how long the offer was good for. But they have let go most cable installers and now are just trying to sell the markets they are already in. If you put a switch in an 8 story building and only have two modest customers on it, it just isn't paying for itself. Yes there is some service available for a lower price, but there is a reason for it. Maybe it won't be there tomorrow.