Has anyone used this? It sounds like a PRI or T1, but allocates the channels for either voice or data, depending on what is needed.

Any good word on this product?

It's dynamic channel allocation and it's been around for a while. We have used it with CLECs, but not with Verizon (our LEC). I have not heard anything bad about it. It's actually a great idea when you think about it:

When there are no phone calls coming in, you get the full bandwidth of a T1 for data. Each voice call chips away at this, but they come and go. It's worth it in the long run. These arrangements are usually set up to prioritize voice traffic anyway unless otherwise requested.

It's comparable to paying for a fax line that sits there unused 50% of the day. By using it for something else while it's idle is just good sense. I say go for it.

I have seen some of the literature from Qwest on this. My company currently uses Qwest for our WAN and have had reasonably good success with them. In looking forward at how to connect the company's offices this seems like a good fit, especially for the smaller offices where it wouldn't make sense to have both a dedicated voice and data circuit.

I have some engineering and implementation experience with Telco Integrated Access offerings from a couple different companies. (Sorry, not Qwest so specific advise from me on them.) It seems to work out VERY well for smaller office environments with both data and voice needs. Especially at locations where DSL is not available. There tends to be more bang for the telecomm buck if DSL is an option over a Intergraded service.

The IA service itself is brought to the end user over a DS1 circuit (T1 rate) and the broken out to voice and data by an integrated access device (IAD.) I’ve used three different manufactures IAD’s and in most cases modules were available to interface with most any configuration of the customer premise equipment. I.e. analog or digital interfaces with PBX’s or even straight to tell-sets. For voice, I’ve seen both 1B (POTS like lines) and DID/DOD trunks used exclusively or even mixed and matched for the needs of the customer. However, I’ve never seen PRI put into play with any integrated access service. Dun-no, ‘bout that one.

The data component is delivered to the IAD though a fractional T1 pipe, riding in the DS1 circuit (T1.) Usually connected to an ISP but in some case I’ve seen it be routed to another customer location to set-up a WAN type configuration. At the customer location, the data can be handed off to a router or some IAD’s can even do some low-level router functionality itself if needed.

With both companies I’ve worked for, the bandwidth was fixed for both voice and data, meaning the fractional T1 data rate was set and was not affected by using or not using the voice channels/trunks. I guess there could be dynamic allocation of channels as Ed suggested but I’ve just never seen it configured that way. Honestly that would be impossible unless some sort of VoIP solution is also being tossed in the mix also over the Frac. T1 data pipe. So, I would not expect to see a reduction in data speed when trunks are used.

Hey Bryan, on the installs that you have done, is the local dial tone provided over the IA circuit, or has it been used for on-net calling only?

In all cases I’ve been involved with, the trunks came from the LEC switch just like it would for any other DID/DOD or dial-tone circuit. Then consolidated/integrated on a Digit Cross Connect machine and delivered to the end-user on the IA DS1. The lines could be used just like any other trunk delivered over copper, it's just transported differently.

We looked at this option for our new office. But looking back, I'm glad we didn't. Our local loop has been down more than a few times for a couple days at a time. If this local loop had also carried our internet service we'd be dead in the water. We have our own mail server, so we wouldn't have email. We have Remote IP phones, they'd be silent. We use Vonage for outbound 800 calling, we wouldn't be able to do that.

It really boils down to the adage - "don't put all your eggs in one basket". It looks good on paper, and in theory. But I don't trust Verizon's copper THAT much.

Rob good point BUT that is something that cut’s both ways… A T1 service that would have brought the Integrated Access service into your shop would have had a much higher restoration priority level than your regular voice trunks.

I was thinking that the larger offices would have local access via PRI lines from the LEC (or CLEC) and use a separate connection for voice back to other locations and a centralized voicemail system. Like you, Rob, I am concerned about having data and phones on the same circuit.

This does seem to be an awfully expensive way to go for smaller office though. I have been trying to figure out the best approach for these offices, some of which have 4 -5 phone lines and a couple of fax/credit card lines.

We currently use the Qwest PRN for WAN access between sites, and have had pretty good success there.

It just seems that it would be nice to have the 4 or 5 digit dialing between locations and one central voicemail for better communications.

Cost, of course, is always an issue.

Thanks for the input.

Keep in mind, my T1 is copper to the local switch. The outage last week, also affected our next-suite neighbor. It's not just us, it was a lot of customers.

My boss wants me to find a new carrier who can give us fiber to the building. If it's fiber, there's less that can go wrong.

If we order FIOS from Verizon, why can't they give us a T1 off it?

Just a few points I'd like to add:

Qwest's dynamic IA T1 (and other carriers that offer a similar product) use VoIP for the voice lines, instead of dedicated TDM circuits. Which is how they get away with being able to offer a full 1.5M of data in addition to multiple voice lines (as many as 24).

With Qwest, each time a phone is being used, about 96k of bandwidth is removed from the total. Kind of high compared to some other carriers I work with, which only need about half that due to stronger compression.

The main advantage of dynamic T1s are cost savings, such as: flat rate local calling (especially helpful if you live in a monopolized area where the LEC charges for EACH call whether it's long distance or local). Also, if your office needs 6 or more lines, plus business grade internet access, it's more economical to use a dynamic IA T1- rather than a separate data T1 and 6 POTS lines. That being said you should always retain at least one POTS line no matter what, for emergencies, etc.

A MAJOR advantage for businesses with multiple locations is the ability to call between them for FREE, assuming each site has one of these dynamic Ts installed...

Being heavily involved with Qwest and selling and installing many of the IA circuits, which Qwest calls One Flex. I have seen the good and bad from this product. The good is it provides a dedicated internet circuit for cases where DSLis not available or the customer wants something better then DSL but doesn't want to pay for a full T1 for IP and seperate voice lines. Also since this is a dedicated type of service the response on repair issues is wonderful.

The bad on this product is that faxes/CC machines actually work much better over an analog line and not this. Normal CC auths work but batch procesing seems to fail on busy days so it seems as if big faxes or big data transmissions fail. Also lately it has had a few bugs such as people can't hear the caller but the caller can hear them. All those kinds of issues get repaired real quick though it seems.

I would recommend One Flex for anyone that wants better then DSL or can't get DSL and needs more then 6 analog lines but less then 13. It can be delivered to the customer as PRI or analog lines and the dialtone is just like a regular analog circuit. Yes the calls do take a portion of the circuits bandwidth but only noticeable if you have the full 1.5m internet and 13 lines.