Do T1 carriers provide routers and CSU/DSUs?
A. Many T1 carriers offer bundled and managed T1 service. Bundled T1 service usually incorporates the T1 line charge and the router purchase/lease charge into one monthly fee that can be paid directly to the carrier. Typical routers that are bundled with T1 service include the Cisco 1720, Cisco 1600 series router, and Netopia brand routers. Routers can be leased for a number of years with a $1 buyout at the end of term or they can be purchased upfront for a flat fee. For an extra monthly fee many carriers will “manage” the router on the customer’s behalf. This service normally includes maintenance, equipment warranty, software upgrades and router programming. Some T1 carriers include these services for all T1 circuits and others offer the service for an additional fee which ranges from $10-$100 per month. The competitiveness of these bundled packages varies greatly, so it is best to price the T1 service with and without bundled equipment.
