The first thing to consider is how DSL and cable work.  DSL is a direct connection to the Telco’s central office. The advantage of DSL is that you are guaranteed upstream and downstream bandwidth because of this direct connection.  One caveat with DSL is the fact your location needs to be within certain distance of the central office.  Cable can be a good solution when your location is too far from the central office.  One problem with cable is the fact you aren’t directly connected to a central office or switch.  This means you often share bandwidth with your neighbors.  Those doing video conferencing from a home office sometimes complain of poor video quality after school lets out and the kids are at home surfing the Internet.  In any event both DSL and Cable are good for video conferencing.  If you elect to use cable, we suggest business class for better bandwidth, better service and a public static IP address.  All this is extra cost from the cable company but it’s worth it.  Plus you can request almost any amount of additional bandwidth to accommodate email or any other applications in your office.    The bottom line is bandwidth – This will determine the real value of your circuit. In any event you may consider a dedicated circuit for your videoconferencing if you are a small organization with one or a few videoconferencing end points.

Good Telco providers will help you determine the best circuit option for your particular location.  We recommend working with an independent Competitive Location Exchange Carrier, (CLEC).  There are many advantages in using an independent CLEC.  First the often work with many carriers, including AT&T; Verizon; Time Werner Cable; Megapath; XO; Level 3 and others.   A CLEC with a variety of underlying providers offer more choices giving you the best option for your video conferencing application and locations.  They also, shop for you and present the best value because they want your business for the long run.

Most CLEC’s do the billing and the customer service.  This in and of itself is a great benefit because more often than not they are much better at customer service and quick response, than the large circuit providers.   We offer a bundle package that combines the video conferencing CODEC and the circuit. (LINK TO WORRY FREE VIDEO CONFERENCING OFFER)  We are certainly using a very good CLEC with an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.  The circuit and your network is the most important component of video conferencing.  It pays to use a highly qualified CLEC who is readily available and provides good customer service when there is a problem with the circuit.

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