Oh, sorry about that stain on your shirt. I did say to set down the coffee cup before you read the shocking news. Yes, it’s true. The tipping point has been reached. Ethernet is now cheaper than T1. Well, at least in 12 markets across the country.
This is an initial launch, perhaps preceding a national rollout that will demolish the traditional WAN pricing structure for telecommunication services. The 12 initial markets are in California, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Texas. You’ll need to check Ethernet availability to see if your location qualifies.
Covad calls their service “Covad Business Ethernet Enterprise.” They use industry-standard DS1 loops ( 1 to 4 loops depending on service speed) to deliver symmetric broadband with no distance limitations in the markets where it is offered. That’s a step up from most EoC or Ethernet over Copper solutions that are limited to 2 or 3 miles from the carrier POP.
The speed of the service doesn’t vary with distance either. You have your choice of 1.0 Mbps, 2.5 Mbps and 5.0 Mbps. The 1 and 2.5 Mbps services are available with 30 calendar day installation. The 5 Mbps service requires 45 calendar days. That’s still pretty fast for service installation at these bandwidths.
What kind of interface headaches can you expect? How about none at all? Covad provides a router that connects to the incoming DS1 loops and gives you an Ethernet handoff. Plug it into your network and your set. The managed router comes pre-configured for DHCP so your Covad IP addresses will automatically be assigned to the devices plugged into the router. No need to manually assign IPs.
This isn’t one of those “information” services either. It’s professional grade Ethernet with professional installation and service level agreements that offer you 99.99% monthly service availability and 8 hour time to repair targets.
Here’s another bonus you wouldn’t expect. You can easily upgrade or downgrade your Ethernet bandwidth without an equipment change. This is great for businesses that anticipate a need for 5 Mbps some time in the future, but only require 1 Mbps or 2.5 Mbps today. The Covad router supports the complete range of Ethernet speeds offered.
Have you recovered enough to check out this and similar bandwidth services further. If so, get Ethernet WAN service quotes for your business location now. You’ll probably be shocked again, pleasantly, when you hear the prices.
