subject: OC3 - What is OC3 Broadband? [print this page] OC3 - What is OC3 Broadband? OC3 - What is OC3 Broadband?
The third optical carrier (OC) represented in Synchronous Optical Networking or SONET fiber optics is the OC3 broadband. The OC level is directly proportional to the speed of data transmission of the digital signal with every level representing 51.84 Mbps approximately. Therefore, OC3 is equal to 155.52 Mbps speed, of which 148.608 Mbps is payload and 6.912 Mbps as the overhead (including the airway). OC3 line is also known as a synchronous transmission line Module 1, which is basic transmission rate of the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy and International Telecommunication Union standard. The OC3 line has the same speed with a Synchronous Transport Signal 3 line that carries electrical signal. Point C (for concatenated) is added to broadband OC3 when it is not a multiplexed signal. The SONET SDH is presently the standard for optical telecommunications and provides for data transmission infrastructure for telecommunications until 2030, most probably. It has much more bandwidth and flexibility than traditional telecommunications systems of telephone lines.
There are several good ways to obtain OC3 service including; obtaining quotes from several providers on a customized OC3 service package, locating available flat rates on standard OC3 service packages and finding any ongoing discounts of OC3 service offers in your area. You will need the best resources and contacts to help you get it done. You may also get bids on OC broadband from competing service providers. The price for OC3 can be very flexible so it is likely that you will frequently need to look for bids on customized service packages. For this reason, you will first have to determine the specific needs of your enterprise and then ask each OC3 service carrier how much they would charge for such service. Through the help of online product mediums, you can make this as easy as completing an online form in order to receive a direct bid from an OC3 Internet provider. And then you will just wait for your needs to be automatically sent to OC broadband vendors that match up your basic criteria. Keep in mind to find companies that offer flat rate on Internet OC3 service. You may be interested in a specific broadband OC carrier. Usually, you will be able to check its availability directly online from a particular website by entering the location information. Always take advantage of the current special offers if you are planning to purchase OC3.
There are many OC3 providers that offer discount prices to their customers, typically those application service providers and content providers as well as large Internet Service Providers or ISPs. Do not overlook current special offers. The participating carriers will normally provide pricing options in the OC3 service both for metered and tiered. Moreover, do not forget that OC3 carriers must have multiple location services with representatives whom you can work directly with when arranging an OC3 service for multiple locations. This is due to the fact that OC3 services are usually beyond the price range of single location businesses. OC3 service is classified in three price categories: full, fractional and burstable. The burstable OC3 transmission rate can be very variable so it is important that you determine the lowest allowable speed when considering the type of OC3 service.
