Network connections are provided to us by Openreach through their service known as Wholesale Line Rental (WLR3. 3being the latest version) All customers instructions to us whether they are new orders or changes to existing infrastructures are processed by Xtel's customer services via our gateway to Openreach's Equivalence Management Platform. They in turn electronically communicate all actions back to us so that we can manage the process and keep you the customer fully informed. Any physical works or soft switching is carried out only by Openreach's staff or engineers as is any maintenance or fault repair to their network.

The Single Analogue Line (SAL) is the simplest of all Network Connections. Being one analogue line connecting your business premises to the network. Typical uses are for Fax machines, Alarms, EPOS PDQ machines and Computer modems.

Are just multiple SAL clubbed together. These lines are used for connecting a customer's telephone system and can carry the same number enabling multiple calls to be received and made by the customer simultaneously.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is actually transmitted over a SAL as a 'wrapped around' service brining digital technology to the Customer's premises without the need of fibre. ISDN has the benefit of simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video and data between Company's situated anywhere in the world.

ISDN2
Typical uses are small PBX's that have 2 to 8 channels (lines). The two main benefits over Multi Analogue Lines is the support of Direct Dial Inward (DDI) numbers allowing for calls to be delivered straight to the desk top eliminating the need of a receptionist and with the ISDN channels carrying data the ability for Computer Telephone Integration (CTI)

ISDN30
Anything from 8 channels to 30 channels. More than one ISDN30 can be connected to a business PBX. The restricting factor being the PBX's capability. The two main benefits over Multi Analogue Lines is the support of Direct Dial Inward (DDI) numbers allowing for calls to be delivered straight to the desk top eliminating the need of a receptionist and with the ISDN channels carrying data the ability for Computer Telephone Integration (CTI)

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is exactly as the name suggests. Instead of sending voice over the public switched telephone network using analogue sign waves the analogue sign waves are digitalized turned into packets that are then transmitted using the Internet Protocol. This process is then reversed at the receiving end.

Other terms frequently encountered and often used synonymously with VoIP are IP telephony, Internet telephony, voice over broadband (VoBB), broadband telephony, and broadband phone. The cheapest form of VOIP usually involves the internet, typically social networking and is not of business quality. For business quality SIP trunking is required.

SIP trunking is a voice broadband connected directly from the SIP trunk provider into the Customers own premises. At no stage does the call touch the public internet thus Quality of Service agreements can apply.

Access to the network is either by: Indirect access (IDA). This is where a code, 3 or 4 digits, is prefixed either manually or automatically before the dialled number is transmitted. Carrier Pre Select (CPS). This is where at exchange level the call is passed to the pre selected carrier. Calls are billed to the nearest tenth of a second and to one thousandth of a penny. Through outbound calling you may wish to utilise some form of Power Dialling using Computer Telephone Integration (CTI) together with ISDN. This could take the form of 'Key Board Click' as a one off any time application or a database generated call list for telemarketing.

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) enables faster data transmission over a SAL than a dial up modem would permit at the same time as allowing a voice call to be carried simultaneously. It does this by utilizing the frequencies that are not being used to carry voice. The modem used by the Customer splits the voice and data then at the telephone exchange the Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) sends the voice call over the conventional telephone network and the Data element onto the IP network. The Internet.

ADSL
As the word Asymmetric would suggest the Data capability is greater in one direction, the service is not symmetrical. Typically the down load would be 2 megabit with the upload 256 kilobit.

SDSL
Symmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL) differs from ADSL in that it is symmetrical in its data transmissions typically 2 megabit both ways and as the full range of frequency is being used for data there is no room for analogue voice