[Asterisk-Users] OT: PRI costs in US

[Brian Johnson]

I don't think I'd be stepping on toes if I told you guys we're paying about
$35/month per analog line with callerid, line hunting, call waiting, etc, etc
(basically the works minus voice mail) through AT&T

That's Canadian so you'll have to work out the currency conversion
ie $1 USD = $1.65 CND


Jon Pounder (JonP at inline.net) wrote*:
>
>
>Hey I hear ya, I am in much the same situation.
>
>PRI or channelized T1 is not really a cost effective solution until you are
>over at least 10 lines, and need features like the DID or callerid, hunt,
>etc. that you would pay a few bucks more each per line so the per line
>analog cost would have been driven up over $50/line.
>
>My thoughts were BRI's as well since they work out to about $40/B channel,
>and you can add and delete in fairly inexpensive groups of 2. You get all
>the CLASS features of the PRI, but without having to buy a ton of lines to
>get them.
>
>BRI channel bank is one option I guess, but fairly rare and expensive.
>
>I would love to find a bri to pri T1 multiplexer at a reasonable cost. I
>have seen a few for sale minus the BRI cards so no deal on them.
>
>The ones I have seen do much more than is actually needed here so likely
>the cost is excessive when bought new.
>
>I am still not really clear why the isdn modems that seem so common
>can't/won't work in this situation. Is it simply an issue of software does
>not exist ? Does the modem do something other than simply dump the
>composite digital datastream into the serial port ? I am familar with how a
>channelized T1 can be output/input via a v35 HSSI port - Does this same
>concept not extend to the BRI isdn and a regular speed serial port ? Is the
>issue that a conventional serial port is topped out at 115k and bri would
>be 64+64+16 ? If so, how does the modem work in bonded bearer channel mode
>for data ?
>
>Anyone got answers ?
>
>
>At 06:40 AM 3/2/2003 -0500, you 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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>>Asterisk-Users mailing list
>>Asterisk-Users at lists.digium.com
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>
>
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