[Asterisk-Users] OT: PRI costs in US

[Steve Kann]

I can't talk to prices, but I would also look at the "extras" that you
get with PRI that you don't get with POTS lines:

1) You almost always get Caller-ID information passed on for free; with
	POTS lines, they charge you extra for that;

2) You do get better quality and flexibility, at least in my experience.
	Also, if this meant anything to you, you'd need a digital line
	coming in before you could do stuff like server 56K modems and
	whatnot.

3) The PRI service might include DID service, while getting standard
	"POTS" service might not.

I can't think of others, but unless you're comparing all the services
you get with one kind of line to another, you're kinda comparing apples
and oranges.  Of course, if none of that matters to you, then you
shouldn't count it :)

-SteveK


On Sun, Mar 02, 2003 at 06:40:32AM -0500, tmassey at obscorp.com wrote:
> Hello!
> 
> Several of my customers would like to add a backup to their Internet 
> connection.  ISDN is a good solution:  decently fast for a dial-up-type 
> connection, yet still faily affordable.  While I was at it, I decided to 
> look at a couple of more creative telephone service options to possibly 
> improve their service or lower costs at the same time.  These customers 
> range from having just a couple of POTS lines without a key system up to 
> as many as 18 POTS lines into systems such as AT&T Merlin or Nortel 
> Norstar systems.
> 
> My first thought on the higher end was a PRI line.  However, the cost 
> seems *very* prohibitive.  The average cost for a PRI line was $550/month, 
> just for "dial tone"!  I've heard others say that PRI becomes cost 
> effective in the 8 line range, but the cost for the office with 14 lines 
> ($25/line * 14 lines) is only $350.  It would take 22 lines before the PRI 
> would equal the cost of individual POTS lines!
> 
> As an aside, I did a survey of several of my customers with 10-30 
> employees.  Most of them have POTS lines only (from between 4 and 10) fed 
> into some sort of PBX.  Only one of them has a PRI line, and they wish 
> they hadn't gone that way:  they thought they would need more lines than 
> they do, and now they feel that they're way over-buying.
> 
> Am I missing something?  When is a PRI competitive with POTS?  And if I'm 
> not missing something, is there an alternative between POTS and a PRI, 
> particularly for 5-15 lines?  None of the telephone companies I called 
> offered channelized T1 options for local service (let alone frac-T1), only 
> PRI.  Are there other options?
> 
> Finally, any alternatives for smaller companies?  I tried to get a simple 
> BRI ISDN line for Internet backup for the company with 18 POTS lines. 
> #$@%@ Ameritech (excuse me, SBC) charges $10/month more if you don't sign 
> a 36-month contract and wouldn't give it to them without a credit check, 
> several pieces of company information, the names and telephone numbers of 
> at least two officers of the company and a personal guarantee from an 
> officer!  This for a customer who has had 18 POTS lines for *15* YEARS!
> 
> I hate SBC...
> 
> Thank you for reading my rant.  I would greatly appreciate any information 
> or suggestions you might be able to give me.
> 
> Tim Massey
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  Steve Kann - Chief Engineer - 520 8th Ave #2300 NY 10018 -  (212) 533-1775
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