What is Dedicated Internet Access?
Dedicated Internet Access, or a DIA for short, is a robust internet connection. It typically comes with some type of contractual guarantee, known as a service level agreement, or SLA, on the circuit’s availability, uptime, bandwidth, latency, and jitter. Additionally, unlike most broadband connections, the connection’s bandwidth is symmetrical. This means that a 500 megabit per second (Mbps) connection is both 500Mbps of down and upstream bandwidth. Broadband typically comes in an asymmetric solution. For instance, 100Mbps downstream and 35Mbps upstream. Finally, a DIA will very likely be implemented on a fiberoptic connection although not a specific requirement. There are additional DIA types including Hybrid Fiber/Coax, or fixed wireless. These are far less common and may come with some other limiting factors.
How do I get Dedicated Internet Access?
For this part Full Span Solutions is here to help! You can key in your address on our home page and see how many providers are close by. Add your contact details and we will be in touch with you to review your options.
After signing a contract for a dedicated internet access connection, the installation will be scheduled. This could include physically installing a cable from the street into your building, deploying a Network Interface Device (NID), and making a cross-connect. This can take some time to coordinate so you will need to be patient. 60-120 days would be a reasonable estimated time frame for an installation in many case. Once complete the provider will test and hand over the IP addressing details and you’re all set to configure your router and start using the connection! Of course we have your back the whole way from start to finish to ensure the provider you choose keeps stays on track.
What will it cost?
In short “it depends”. Each connectivity market can be different with the pricing varying significantly. For instance, a DIA to a customer site could cost between $.50 to $2 per Mbps of bandwidth if we use a 1Gig DIA as our benchmark. Inside a data center, the costs drop substantially to the $.30 to $1 per Mbps range. Of course, the length of the contract term can also be adjusted impacting the pricing as well. The bottom line is to have the connection quoted and know for sure!
Want to know more?
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to learn more. Our team will be happy to help! Considering a dedicated internet access connection for your business? Use the Connectivity Search on our home page to see how many providers are in your area!