Multiple
Tier 1 Providers
A
Tier 1 provider is a major provider of Internet bandwidth. AT&T,
Sprint, IBM, and GTE, for example, are all Tier 1 providers. Note
that this is not the same as a “T1” connection. Tier
1 providers own the “big pipes” and have built and
operate the main Internet “backbones.” Using multiple
Tier 1 providers means that, should something go wrong with one
provider, we can effortlessly switch over to another, with no
interruption in service.