Which is better, IPStream or DataStream?
Neither IPStream nor DataStream is ‘better’ necessarily. These are both BT Wholesale provided services but they deliver the connection to the ISP in a different way. IPStream is a service where the user traffic is routed longer inside BT’s managed network whereas with DataStream, the ISP takes one or more ‘virtual path’ (VP) circuits to each local exchange so they can manage contention themselves. Most ISPs use DataStream to deliver services with high contention ratios spread over very small numbers, so often DataStream will deliver worse performance, however technically it is capable of more customised services, including 1:1 contention. Therefore, you should not choose a service solely because it uses IPStream or DataStream but look into user experiences of the particular service. DataStream’s advantage in the current market is for ultra low cost services, or low contention / uncontended services and where Quality of Service (QoS) is needed.
