A telecommunications contract is like a relationship. Just like any other relationship, it can be good, bad, or somewhere in between. In today’s market, with pretty much any vendor, if you need T1 service, you’ll be required to enter into a long term agreement, or contract. The usual time frame for a T1 or T3 contract is from 1 to 3 years, with 3 years being the most common, in order to get the best pricing. Anything over 3 years is usually only seen with larger, more complex solutions – usually multi-site MPLS or other applications such as OC3 and OC12. Large Frame Relay networks are also sometimes signed at more than 3 year terms. The length of the agreement probably won’t be an issue – if your relationship with your vendor is a good one. But having a long contract with could be a huge burden if you’re with the wrong vendor.

A good preventive solution is to use the services of a telecom broker so you have the ability to see and compare various providers and options for the service you’re looking for. An independent telecom agent (or broker) can save you a lot of time and heartache because instead of sitting through multiple meetings with sales reps from various vendors, you can have one single, in-depth meeting. A good broker will know all the questions to ask you, and have options to many different providers, to ensure you are getting the exact solution that will be best for your company. And you’ll only need to have one meeting instead of various meetings with different T1 providers.

An agent will also be helpful because they won’t be biased toward one vendor or one service type, if it’s not the right vendor or service for you. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the sales person who is employed directly by the carrier, who will obviously be biased toward his company and products – whether or not they’re the best fit for you. Since the agent doesn’t work for one specific provider, such as CenturyLink or XO Communications, he or she won’t push you in a direction which doesn’t serve your particular best interest.

Keep in mind that the T1 provider you end up choosing will be your partner for a long time, so make sure to put plenty of though and analysis into making the right choice. If you choose the wrong provider, it can adversely affect your business. Missed calls or an unreliable internet connection can spell disaster for a business. In our experience, we’ve seen larger providers such as AT&T or Verizon let companies out of their contracts if it can be shown that the voice T1 or data T1 is not performing up to guaranteed levels on a regular basis. But don’t expect smaller carriers to do the same. Also keep in mind that even the larger carriers won’t reimburse you or help recoup whatever monetary or relationship damage was caused by lost calls, lost emails, or poor service to your customers. Working with an independent telecom broker will help you when you’re shopping for a T1 provider, and we suggest you take advantage of all the benefits this way of shopping entails versus having to meet separately with several biased sales people employed by the carriers.