FR versus ISDN

Richard_R.Moore (MOORERR@msu.edu)
Thu, 29 May 97 15:31 EDT

> Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 15:17:39 -0500
> To: portmaster-users@livingston.com
> From: Paul Guzyk <pguzyk@infohouse.com>
> Subject: Re: Frame Relay Equipment
> Sender: owner-portmaster-users@livingston.com
> Reply-To: Paul Guzyk <pguzyk@infohouse.com>
>
> Jake Messinger said:
>
> >Can I ask WHY they want frame relay?
> >
> >Id just get an ISDN line and an OR-U on his side and have him dial into
> >your PM3 (if you have one) or an OR-U on your side, and NO you dont need
> >csu/dsu's for ISDN.
> >
>
> Because they may live in an evil place, like Nynex territory.
>
> Many RBOC's charge by the minute for ISDN and by the month for Frame. Here
> in NYNEX land, an ISDN business line nailed at 128K costs around
> $600-$700/month just for telco charges! Additionally, frame is available
> in bandwith over 128k.
>
> The customer is probably looking at Frame because of costs, not because of
> technology issues.
>
> You can get a Frame T1 from Nynex for around $700, which is about what a
> nailed ISDN line would cost (unless you use the centrex workaround)
>

Also, there are places where the telco will offer frame relay and NOT ISDN and
in other cases, the FR would be cheaper even if the phone compnay offered it
without a usage charge.

For example, in some places GTE michigan will offer frame relay for $201 a
month (128K service) regardless of distance. Some sites in our situation are
200 miles from the hub, even if they had ISDN service the long distance or
milage fees would eat them alive!