<html><head><style type='text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style></head><body><div style='font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #000000'>I'm evaluating methods of extending our footprint. I purposely left out company names.<div><br></div><div>One of the companies we talked to was really only interested in getting us the inbound long distance calls, not the local ones. Well, they would, but the terms were vastly different.</div><div><br></div><div>Given that I still need to build out to connect to the local tandem, what's the point in using a third party to connect to long distance?</div><div><br></div><div>Are the terms for connecting to the local tandems different because the access tandem is simpler, whereas the local tandem could potentially involve connections to a bunch of other switches, once volume dictated I needed direct connections... and they don't want to deal with that?</div><div><br></div><div>Are there third parties that don't have vastly different terms for local tandem services?</div><div><br></div><div>Also, is it likely that I just don't understand what's going on? I went circles with the sales rep to make sure I understood what he was saying, but I could be wrong.<br><div><br><div><span name="x"></span><br><br>-----<br>Mike Hammett<br>Intelligent Computing Solutions<br>http://www.ics-il.com<br><br><br><br>Midwest Internet Exchange<br>http://www.midwest-ix.com<br><br><span name="x"></span><br></div></div></div></div></body></html>