Shared Internet Access using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or Coaxial Cable (“Coax”) Services

DSL uses the existing copper telephone line infrastructure created by the Ma Bell over 100 years ago. In essence DSL is a technology “retro-fitted” onto an old standby technology.

Coaxial cable became popular in the late 70s to deliver TV services and when the Internet blew up in the late 90’s Cable companies figured out how to use that network to enable customers to access the Internet.

None of the bandwidths a customer buys using DSL or Coax are guaranteed and are all considered “best effort.” There is no promise of performance offered to customers. These services also are asymmetric in that the bandwidth from the Internet to the end user is usually higher than the bandwidth from the end user back to the Internet. This means that uploading files/data to the Internet can be a challenge, when compared to downloading data from the Internet.

Dedicated Internet Access

By comparison, dedicated Internet access is just that. You sign up for a specific bandwidth and you are given a service level agreement (SLA) that guarantees not only the symmetrical speed, but also network uptime, and mean time to repair (MTTR) when there are service issues.

The two key words here are dedicated and symmetrical. You always get your purchased bandwidth regardless of how many other people may be using the same service provider in your area. Also, with this service your upload and download speeds are the same so it won’t take ten times as long to send that big file as it did to receive it. Dedicated Internet access can be more expensive than the shared options but for businesses dedicated Internet access is much more reliable option that also provides customers greater scalability.

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About XO Communications:

XO Communications is a leading nationwide provider of advanced communications, managed network and IT

infrastructure services for business, large enterprise and wholesale customers. These customers include more

than half of the Fortune 500, in addition to leading cable, mobile wireless and domestic and international telecom-

munications companies. XO offers a superior customer experience through its innovative data and IP solutions,

its employees’ focus on customers and the proven performance of its advanced network.

To learn more about XO Communications, visit www.xo.com or blog.xo.com.

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Comparing Shared vs. Dedicated Internet Connections

Don’t Put Your Business at Risk

DSL and Coax services leverage analog technologies with modems connecting to network ports where multiple customers compete for the same available bandwidth – the result is network congestion and Internet access performance which can vary widely during the course of the day. T-1 and Ethernet services from XO Communications are end to end digital products connecting a router on the customer premises to individually dedicated network ports in the XO network – you pay for 10Mbps and you’ll receive 10Mbps. In addition, XO provides business grade service level agreements (SLAs) of no more than 4 hours Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) for its Dedicated Internet Access service. Coax and DSL service providers generally do not provide any SLAs which can mean that customers have little to no recourse when network outages last for hours or even days at a time. If your business depends on the Internet don’t leave your Internet access to chance with anything other than Dedicated Internet Access from XO.