[Asterisk-biz] Pricing Options and Models

[alex at pilosoft.com]

On Wed, 27 Apr 2005, Max Clark wrote:

> 1. Port based - just like a local T1 provides unlimited inbound calling, 
> customer pays the outbound usage, capped on maximum simultaneous ports.

> 2. Usage based - customer pays for inbound and outbound calls based on
> minutes.
No carrier that I know charges per-minute for inbound on PRI.
> 
> With a PRI a 16 mile radius is usually considered local calling and free
> outbound, are there any SIP providers that make this distinction (i.e.  
> is there any concept of local calling with a port based SIP contract)?
No, with PRI, you usually pay lower per-minute charge for local calls, but 
you do still pay. You pay a *higher* per-minute charge for intralata toll.

> What are good rates for a small-medium sized business looking for SIP
> based origination and termination?
Without commit, no real carrier will treat you as a wholesale customer, so
you have choice of paying retail to real carrier (~3-4c/minute flat) or
paying "wholesale" to the lemonade-stand-du-jour (going rate is about
1.3c/minute now).

With some commit, you can get about 2c/minute from a real carrier.