DS3, or Digital Signal level 3, is a longstanding telecommunications standard for digital transmission. It offers highly reliable 45 Mbps bandwidth for dedicated point to point, PBX telephone, or Internet connections. Smaller Internet Service Providers find DS3 service to be the right size and price to serve their customers. Other key applications are medical image transmission, video transport, and call center operations.
When DS3 was first deployed by the telephone companies, it may have been delivered by coaxial cable, microwave relay tower, or even rigid waveguide pipes. As soon as fiber optic trunk cables were available, DS3 logically moved to fiber based delivery. This is still the standard transmission medium for DS3, especially over long distances. Multiple DS3 signals are often multiplexed onto an OC3 or higher level SONET fiber optic carrier and demultiplexed to be dropped off where needed.
Recent developments by new network service providers with their own regional and nationwide fiber optic networks have dramatically lowered the price of DS3 services to where they are affordable by businesses and organizations that couldn’t previously afford the lease rates. They’ve also deployed additional deliver platforms so that there are multiple ways to get DS3 Internet.
If your building is already lit for fiber optic service, that’s likely the best option for DS3 Internet. If not, you might consider moving your high bandwidth Internet servers to a colocation center. Colo centers generally have the best prices on WAN bandwidth and the availability of multiple carriers to choose from. Construction costs are minimal due to everything being in the same building.
For business locations in a metropolitan areas, including nearby suburbs, there are a couple of other options for DS3 Internet. One is wireless transmission. This is line-of-sight microwave transmission on licensed bands from a carrier’s point of presence to an antenna on your building. It only works fairly close to the carrier and if there are no obstructions in the way.
DS3 over Copper isn’t affected by terrain or building density. This service uses multiple pair of standard twisted pair cabling to transport a DS3 level signal. Special modulation equipment is needed at each end of the path, which is provided by the carrier. DS3 over Copper (DS3oC) is also a relatively short range transmission scheme and is generally available only near carrier facilities.
Would your business benefit from a dedicated DS3 Internet connection, or do you already have one? If so, you owe it to yourself to check prices and availability of DS3 Internet for your business location. You may be surprised to find lower prices and more options that you expect.
