ZipLink is offering its customers the option of Centrex ISDN services into our Centrex Network (currently only in the Boston area but will expand...just ask and we will see if we can accomidate). What this allows for is unmetered Data calls to Ziplink from the customer. As you are undoubtedly aware, ISDN Data calls are generally metered for residential and business services making extended 128Kbps connections to an ISP potentually cost prohibitive (total cost would be near the $700 per month range, more expensive than a T1, in some cases). With the availability of Centrex ISDN service from Ziplink, however, this cost is signifigantly reduced making this a very nice option for the price conscious Internet customer and a potentual way to make a sell when Frame relay is too rich for the customer.
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64Kbps ISDN Centrex $250 per month plus foriegn served mileage. 128Kbps ISDN Centrex $425 per month plus foriegn served mileage. |
56Kbps Internet feed $350 per month from Ziplink plus $100-$200 dollars from the Telco per month. 384Kbps Internet Feed $700 per month from Ziplink plus $400-$600 from the Telco per month. |
How does the Telco Foreign Served Centrex pricing work?
It's fairly simple pricing scheme that is available for our Centrex Customers. First there is the flat $250 or $425 rate for 64K and 128K respectively. Then there are mileage charges depending on how far your CO is from our CO. Our CO for the Boston area is on Franklin St. If you are served out of that CO then you'll have no mileage charges. If you are out of another CO, here's how it works:
For the first 9 miles your CO is from ours it's $3.92 dollars per mile per month. For each additional mile it is $1.94 per mile per month.
The Mileage charge is what could potentually cause confusion. This is the Mileage from a customers CO to our CO. Here's a scenerio:
Say, for instance, that a customer in Cambridge was interested in Centrex ISDN service to Ziplink. Cambridge's CO is 3 miles from the CO where our Centrex is served out of. So, this customer would have the following Total charges:
Mileage - ($3.92)x3 per month Flat 64K rate - $250 per month Flat 128K rate - $425 per month ------ Total $261.76 per month for 64Kbps $436.76 per month for 128Kbps
In addition to this benifit, the ISDN routing equiptment is much more accessible and less costly so there would a be signifigantly lower up front cost to the customer than would Frame Relay. For Frame, the customer is looking at an initial equiptment cost of over $3000, whereas with ISDN, it would range from $900 to $2000 depending upon the particular needs of the client (based on the retail prices of the Ascend Pipleline series).
Mileage Chart for the greater Boston area:
Brighton - 5 miles Lexington - 11 miles Brookline - 4 miles Lincoln - 14 miles Cambridge - 3 miles Natick - 7 miles Chareston - 2 miles Newton - 8 miles East Boston - 2 miles Wellesley - 12 miles Roxbury - 3 miles Woburn - 10 miles South Boston - 2 miles Braintree - 11 miles Arlington - 7 miles Dorchester- 4 miles Belmont - 7 miles Milton - 6 miles Somerville - 3 miles Weymouth - 12 miles Watertown - 7 miles Littleton - 25 miles Lowell - 24 miles Peabody - 14 miles Lynnfield - 13 miles Randolph - 14 miles Holbrook - 14 miles Wilmington - 14 miles Brockton - 20 miles Avon - 20 miles Norwell - 18 miles Hingham - 13 miles Cohasset - 16 miles Worcester - 39 miles Grafton - 34 miles Andover - 22 miles Framingham - 20 miles Uxbridge - 36 miles Ashland - 22 miles Milford - 29 miles