On-demand bandwidth service bills by the minute
A start-up network service provider owned in part by AT&T Corp. is using the long-distance carrier's digital network to offer so-called dynamic private networking'dedicated bandwidth on demand, billed by the minute.
By William JacksonGCN StaffA start-up network service provider owned in part by AT&T Corp. is using the long-distance carrier's digital network to offer so-called dynamic private networking'dedicated bandwidth on demand, billed by the minute.'If your needs for T1 bandwidth are less than six hours a day, we are cheaper than other options for point-to-point communications,' said Mil Ovan, vice president of marketing for WarpSpeed Communications of Pleasanton, Calif.The service, Bandwidth@WarpSpeed, could be an alternative to dedicated leased lines and virtual private networks, he said. It is cheaper than leasing a T1 and offers quality of service not available on VPNs using the Internet.The service, launched in September, has only four customers so far. 'We're finding great interest in the government market, which tends to have more stringent quality and security needs,' Ovan said. 'They understand direct connections and T1s.'WarpSpeed leases DS3 circuits from AT&T, each equivalent to 28 1.5-Mbps T1 channels, and resells them in T1 increments by the minute. The service costs $500 a month for a T1 line from the user's LAN to the AT&T point of presence, and $1 a minute during peak hours for connections to any other Bandwidth@WarpSpeed customer. There are no distance charges, and off-peak rates drop to 50 cents a minute.WarpSpeed's real-time transaction processing software runs at its broadband service control point in Pleasanton. The software determines the best point-to-point route on demand and establishes a circuit through the operating system.Customers access the service at a WarpSpeed Web site by selecting network points to be connected. The direct circuit is available for IP, asynchronous transfer mode or frame relay traffic until disconnected.Bandwidth@WarpSpeed is now available in the Oakland, San Francisco and Silicon Valley areas of California; in Chicago; around Washington and Alexandria, Va.; and around New York. The company expects to expand to 16 markets soon and has agreements to lease DS3 circuits at each of AT&T's 85 points of presence around the country.
WarpSpeed says its alternative is cheaper than dedicated leased lines and virtual private networks
Feds understand
Contact WarpSpeed at 925-398-1000.
Feds understand
Contact WarpSpeed at 925-398-1000.
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