From: "George H. Clapp" <clapp@bellcore.com>
I'm also curious about the value of co-location. Using a fast packet service (Frame Relay, SMDS, or ATM) allows your on-site router to communicate directly with a router of another ISP. There's no need to purchase another router to place at the co-location site. Why incur the additional cost?
To avoid having to use any of the fast packet services you mentioned? Or to allow you to use routers, which you know about, instead of being dependent on the random characteristics of switches the telephone company bought? Not using either of the last two fast packet services, in particular, will also yield 30% more useful bandwidth from a T3 circuit. This all by itself may make up for the co-location costs and the cost of a router. Dennis Ferguson