During the course of signing up to be a customer, you will have to determine which service, dedicated or dial-up, is best suited for your mission requirements. Some of the kinds of things you should consider are:
- Estimated Usage (can data be obtained from existing sites or other organizations
- Sites you anticipate conferencing with (dial-up, dedicated, networks they are on—DISN, FTS, Commercial, …)
- Quality Determination (video quality proportional to data rate, speed of data transfer)
- Advance Notice Determination
- Multi-point Requirements
- On-Call Assistance
- Budget Constraints
Pros and Cons
The following list is not intended to favor one method over the other, but to assist in the decision process. Decision should not be based on cost alone. Contact DISA VTC Ops for more information and assistance in deciding what the right service is for you.
DEDICATED SERVICE
Pros
| Cons
|
|---|
| No network access blocking |
Point-to-Point calls require reservation |
| Directly connected to reservation system |
Not cost effective if utilization is low |
| Highest level of trouble shooting |
Older technology |
| Very little homework required |
|
| Network access equipment is property of DISN contractor |
|
| Known quantity for future years budget planning |
|
Cost Considerations - DISN Dedicated Bill
- Flat rate (all inclusive)
|
DIAL-UP SERVICE
Pros
| Cons
|
|---|
| Point-to-Point calls established near instantaneously |
Network blocking |
| More flexibility for accessing other users |
More homework required |
| Convenience |
Managing usage |
| Usage sensitive rates |
May not be cost effective if utilization is very high |
| |
Network access equipment is CPE |
Cost Considerations - DISN Dial-up Bill
- Network Usage (i.e., $0.052 per DS-0)
- Network Access (flat rate)
- DVS-G hub services (usage - $0.90 per min per port)
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