OC3 Connection

Every modern office requires high-speed Internet of some description to function properly today. Very small offices can get away with a cable or DSL connection, or by sharing with a larger group. Larger offices need a dedicated T1 line or better. But when you get to a mid-size office with a hundred or more people, it's time to start considering (or at least planning for) an OC3 connection, particularly if you are working with large data streams or heavy phone use.

An OC3 connection (also called an STS-3 and STM-1) is a high-speed fiberoptics connection to the Internet and integrated world of data, and can be used for both voice and data communication.

It is the smallest connection size that can use the very efficient SONET high-speed data transmission system, and additionally is an excellent choice for point to point access when you are connecting large data hubs together.

OC3 connections carry data at about 150 Mbit/s, about the equivalent of 84 T1 lines. It provides total space for 672 voice or data lines, none of which are dedicated; this means as long as your business does not require operators to be on the phone at the same time, those 672 connections can cycle between your people on the phone, standard internet connections, and bulking up connections for large data transfers.

There's plenty of bandwidth to transmit good quality real-time video or to handle very large databases even when they are accessed frequently.

For larger businesses, an OC3 connection is better used as a networking path than an outside connection path.

If you have a company that could use an OC3 connection sometimes, but not necessarily all the time, you can look for a flexible-capacity server, someone who provides you with bandwidth on demand.

That way, you can avoid the very high costs associated with any OC-based connection yet still have good reliable fast service for your company. These are often called burstable lines, and are found cheaply at places where many companies use internet from the same pipeline, sometimes called colocation facilities.

You may be able to find this kind of service at a good modern office park or in a large downtown city building, where the infrastructure lends itself to easy sharing of facilities.