Meeting Your Bandwidth Requirements For Supply Chain Management Applications

In today's business world it is critical for companies to deploy supply-chain management (SCM) systems to enhance efficiency across the product lifecycle by streamlining procurement, production, fulfillment, and distribution processes. Deploying an SCM solution that provides the intended return on investment requires that the applications, servers, and enterprise network infrastructure work together seamlessly. This is easier said than done and will necessitate a thorough evaluation of your bandwidth needs to meet the demand.

SCM solutions require integration of applications and data across multiple geographically dispersed supply chain partners, as well as internal integration with legacy systems. To ensure success, your organization must deploy robust, end-to-end dedicated bandwidth that delivers highly reliable and strictly monitored QoS (Quality of Service).

An SCM solution is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. Access to SCM applications and data must be guaranteed for all of your users, inside and outside the enterprise. Your company must provide sufficient bandwidth to support constant data flow between desktops and servers at the company headquarters, geographically dispersed suppliers and partners, manufacturers, distributors, customer service call centers, and for mobile users and teleworkers. Connections between servers and desktops must provide the necessary bandwidth to deliver resource-intensive services, real-time application data to all users, and enable integration of disparate data sources.

At your headquarters office, where corporate Web, application, and database servers reside and WAN links converge, availability and security are key. A redundant backbone switching architecture with Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to servers and access switches is often indicated, along with a modular, enterprise-class routing platform that supports advanced security features and WAN bandwidth management.

In order to ensure availability over time, a successful SCM solution should be built on an application design, server architecture, and network infrastructure that can grow easily as your business grows. This is called scalability. The solution must provide the ability to easily provision more WAN bandwidth to meet peak needs, to scale with fluctuating traffic between vendors and partners, and to adapt quickly as supply chain partners are added or replaced. To accomplish this, the solution should readily accommodate new server connections, partners, and locations. Network routers should provide enough capacity to easily and economically provision additional bandwidth as traffic increases, or to add new locations as the geographic reach of the supply chain expands.

Each location involved in your SCM infrastructure will require dedicated bandwidth to meet the functions conducted at that location. This likely will involve some combination of the following choices and is dependent on the complexity of the deployed SCM system and the size of your organization:

- DS3 bandwidth, also known as a T3, is the reliable, all-purpose, digital connection for extremely high-volume requirements. Operating at 45 Mbps (equivalent to 28 DS1 circuits, or 672 DS0 channels), DS3 can provide a cost-effective solution for smaller locations in the SCM network. With DS3, you can link your high-volume host computers for resource sharing and load balancing.

- OC3 bandwidth is a fiber optic line delivering 155 Mbps (equivalent to 3 DS3 circuits) designed for those who expect constant, high bandwidth requirements. For a mid to large size business implementing a SCM system....this will likely be your choice for infrastructure backbone (e.g. headquarters) bandwidth.

- Gigabit Ethernet is a version of Ethernet, which supports data transfer rates of 1 Gigabit (1,000 megabits) per second. Large scale deployment of SCM systems and larger organizations will likely consider this solution.

The process to determine and than find the appropriate bandwidth solution for your SCM application can be a daunting task. Use of an unbiased professional bandwidth broker will save your IT staff countless hours of effort and headaches while guiding them through the technology minefields towards the best choice for system reliability and cost. I strongly suggest you take advantage of their expertise.

Tip....How To Determine Network/Bandwidth Requirements For Supply Chain Management Systems

Following is a list of information packed articles to help you solve your bandwidth issues with a supply chain management system network design and installation. You'll get tips on what to look for, what to ensure is part of any design package, how to compare providers for any solution you decide upon, and where to find the best deals so you have the best chance at the most cost effective solution.

* What Bandwidth Solution (T1, DS3, OC3) Makes Sense For A Supply Chain Network?

“A company's supply chain network can be a complicated animal. To service this network of constant data sharing and storage requires a high performing reliable network backbone. An important part of the design is the right level of bandwidth support .... T1, DS3, or OC3 bandwidth circuits to be exact. Making the right decision on what circuit to choose means navigating a number of issues.”

* Meeting Your Bandwidth Requirements For Supply Chain Management Applications

"Deploying an Supply Chain Management (SCM) solution that provides the intended return on investment requires that the applications, servers, and enterprise network infrastructure work together seamlessly. This is easier said than done and will necessitate a thorough evaluation of your bandwidth needs to meet the demand."

* More On Meeting Your Bandwidth Requirements For Supply Chain Management Applications

"The key to a successful SCM implementation is a clear understanding of the business objectives and business requirements of the company the SCM primarily supports. This often includes a number of legacy systems which need to be integrated into the solution. From this will come the technical objectives to be met and the technical requirements that frame the solution. Only then will the communication requirements for bandwidth capacity, reliability, resiliency, latency, security, and expandability be meaningful."

More On....Meeting Your Bandwidth Requirements For Supply Chain Management Applications

As I pointed out in a previous article, Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a complex animal. The key to a successful SCM implementation is a clear understanding of the business objectives and business requirements of the company the SCM primarily supports. This often includes a number of legacy systems which need to be integrated into the solution. From this will come the technical objectives to be met and the technical requirements that frame the solution. Only then will the commmunication requirements for bandwidth capacity, reliability, resiliancy, latency, security, and expandability be meaningful.

Here's just 2 such technical aspects.....

Frame Relay

Frame relay initially had several advantages over the alternative solutions for SCM and other multi site and multi company communications networks.

The first advantage was with circuit costs. For a multi site network, the traditional approach was a large number of point to point circuits. Each circuit required a router port, a CSU, and often a circuit monitoring module. With milage based pricing, each circuit represented a significant recurring cost on top of the initial hardware costs. Router sizing was often a factor of ports supported rather than performance capability.

Frame relay exchanged the point to point circuit costs with an access circuit, typically at less than 1/10th of the cost. With port speeds from DS0 to DS3, multiple sites could be connected with a single port at each site. A partial or full mesh, even with full redundancy, could be accomplished with very few router ports and CSU at each site. This represented significant capital savings.

Using fractional T1 and T3 on the access circuits, frame relay made expanding capacity between sites relatively painless. Port changes within the frame relay provider's network was often a configuration change. Expanding the actual circuits was typically a configuration change on the CSU and DACS.

Adding new sites was often accomplished with physical changes at the new site only. The new PVC across the frame relay network and at the existing site(s) was a configuration change. Depending on the routers used and the routing protocol implemented, this might be accomplished without a maintenance window.

The PVC approach allowed for additional security. A given location could be directed to a specific port within the DMZ, limiting the exposure of one's own network to other vendors within the SCM network. Firewalls at each end allowed each company to control its own security. The frame relay network was vulnerable to external monitoring at very few points, and the relationship of PVC traffic to specific customer required specific network design information.

Frame relay offered the ability to have a disaster recovery site support multiple locations. PVC between the disaster location and other locations could be defined in the configuration, allowing dynamic implementation of the disaster recovery network.

As a circuit protocol, frame relay functions independent of other protocols. This segmentation allowed IPX, IP, SNA, and other system communications protocols to be implemented over the same paths. If desired, each of these could have its own PVC and bandwidth, or they could all operate over a common path. Finally, the bandwidth and performance could be established specifically to site pairs on a PVC basis.

For a vendor that participated in multiple SCM networks, frame relay represented real cost savings. Instead of a new circuit for each network, a PVC could be established. Instead of 6 week circuit installation delays, service could be established in hours.

----

So why the past tense? The advantages of frame relay are now achieved via the Internet. The timeframes for implementation have been reduced from hours to minutes. Encryption has advanced beyond the security offered by isolated paths. Advances in application based routing can achieve availablity assurances. Legacy protocols have been largely replaced by IP.

There are still times when frame relay is the best choice based on business requirements or technical constraints. But a robust bandwidth network (e.g. OC3 or OC12 bandwidth....perhaps with GigE connectivity) applying IP protocols will enable a seemless flow of information without risking security concerns.

Emerging Technologies

The most notable is Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID. RFID tags are essentially barcodes on steroids. Whereas barcodes only identify the product, RFID tags can tell what the product is, where it has been, when it expires, whatever information someone wishes to program it with. RFID technology is going to generate mountains of data about the location of pallets, cases, cartons, totes and individual products in the supply chain. It's going to produce oceans of information about when and where merchandise is manufactured, picked, packed and shipped. It's going to create rivers of numbers telling retailers about the expiration dates of their perishable items—numbers that will have to be stored, transmitted in real-time and shared with warehouse management, inventory management, financial and other enterprise systems. In other words, it is going to have a really big impact.

Another benefit of RFIDs is that, unlike barcodes, RFID tags can be read automatically by electronic readers. Imagine a truck carrying a container full of widgets entering a shipping terminal in China. If the container is equipped with an RFID tag, and the terminal has an RFID sensor network, that container’s whereabouts can be automatically sent to Widget Co. without the truck ever slowing down. It has the potential to add a substantial amount of visibility into the extended supply chain.

Right now the two biggest hurdles to widespread RFID adoption are the cost of building the infrastructure and the lack of agreed-upon industry standards. But regardless...RFID implementation will be bandwidth intensive to retrieve and disseminate the mountain of information such a tool will provide.

Summary

The answer to how to meet bandwidth requirements for SCM applications is as complex as ever. The addition of emerging technologies like RFID into the mix of legacy point-to-point approaches, the frame relay darling, and the simplification afforded by OCx backed IP protocols....means your IT staff will be pegging their stress meter trying to make a decision. To navigate the aspect involving researching and acquiring the right bandwidth solution....do yourself a favor. Use the services of an independent unbiased consultant such as FreedomFire Communications to navigate the minefield for you. Your IT staff will love you for it.

What Bandwidth Backbone Makes The Most Sense For Networks In Africa, Middle East, And Latin America?

Given network infrastructure available in each region ... what bandwidth solution make the most sense (and why) for designing network solutions to meet business voice/data needs?

This is a difficult question to answer given the challenges faced by each region. The reality may be there is no easy answer. There is no "one size fits all" that covers all of these regions at once. So each must be treated seperately and distinctly to have any chance of success.

Some of the factors to consider likely deemed important would include business (e.g. type of business, number of locations in the network) technology (e.g. copper, fiber, wireless backhaul) economic (financing, ROI of implementation, budget), political (e.g. stable government, nationalized services, free market encouraged entrepreneurship), and regulatory (e.g. internal government restrictions, international connectivity limitations).

For example .... is a DS3 based solution viable for a multi-site WAN network in Nigeria? T1 for a single location in Brazil? Ethernet for a campus LAN in Bahrain?

These regions of the world are also commonly referred to as "developing nations", which is usually true of their infrastructure, and communications infrastructure included.

Persian gulf emirates ..... and to some extent Brazil (in the big metro areas) .... are well developed and you can expect the same telecom services to some extent as in the USA and Europe.

Elsewhere, availability is scarce and inconsistent.

For this reason many developing nations are focusing on cellular communications intending to "skip" the development of wireline infrastructure altogether. For example basing it on direct satellite service, like VSAT. There is of course the issue of delay with this approach that will effect voice and high-interactivity, so if delay is an important factor you may need to consider use of Iridium (not sure what's became of them ) or some other low-orbit satellites.

Before digging into the technical aspects for a Middle East or African network infrastructure one should look into the political situation. Most of these countries still have their local phone companies government owned. At best they are a monopoly directed by political powers and local rich people. Once you tap into the right people, these countries are more adopting of leading and bleeding edge technologies. Customers in these regions are more prone to using the "latest-&-greatest" mostly for novelty reasons. In the end, it does not matter why customers subscribe as long as the business is there!

In Africa there have been some improvements in the terrestrial subsea connectivity but that doesn't help much in reaching specific locations and providing backhaul. Similarly VSAT has been the traditional solution in Africa and some other remote regions but the proliferation of WiMax is generating increasing problems of interference. This is compounded by the unpredictable nature of licensing and controls. In my view Latin America has improved quite significantly in general access provision but quality and cost is still difficult to predict and manage. In the Middle East a lot of investment has and is taking place .... but here the biggest hurdle tends to be regulatory and the lack of an open market for supply.

A true "answer" can only be achieved by detailed study of IT and telecom prospects and existing infrastructure availability in each region. To this end the following factors should be considered;

Technology .....

This type of pursuit all depends upon types of services to be offered (like voice “Fixed or cellular”, leased circuits for WAN, broadband, Triple Play, IPTV, etc), users (e.g number of users, individual or corporate, scattered or concentrated), service coverage and existing available backbone network infrastructure (e.g. OFC network with PDH, SDH, DWDM or MW via PDH, SDH) .... then we could be able to forecast backbone bandwidth, evaluate existing available infrastructure, plan enhancements if required, select technology, and estimate the investment. The short answer is that T1, DS3, and OC3 bandwidth make sense if line infrastructure is readily available for tie in. Fiber makes better sense (ethernet) if grid is readily available and supported. If none of these are reasonably available in quantity than VSAT will continue as solution of choice with tie in to minimal hard line structure "nodes" where present.

Business/Economic ....

To prepare a business model, the factors would include by neccessity CAPEX, OPEX, NPV, IRR, revenue based on ARPU for a specific offered service, taxes, licensing fees, Inflation rate, decline in ARPU due to expected competition, last mile connectivity for corporate customer, and unforeseen costs in licensing/approvals and project rollout. This category seems the most self limiting over any technology challenges.

Regulatory / Administrative (Political) .....

The administrative factors involved would be different for each region ..... like monopolized regime and political situations in Africa and partially de-regulated environment in most of the countries in the Middle East ..... normally getting a license is a tricky job in many countries.

For each of the regions cited (Africa, Middle East, Latin America) .... depending upon your analysis per the above factors .... you may find that a realistic solution may be that a hybrid of technologies would be needed. For example, VSAT can offer a worldwide network and be integrated into terrestrial networks (T1, DS3, OCx, fast ethernet) where feasible and available. In the end there is no single solution that fits every scenario ... you must be flexible and innovative to target the right solution for each situation on it's own merits.

OC3, OC12 & OC48 Bandwidth (Fiber Optics)....Ideal Solution For High End Users

The ideal solution for high end bandwidth users where connectivity is essential for operations isn't a simple T1 or DS3 dedicated line...you need an "OC" fiber optic network. So just what is OCx, what can it do for you, and what do you need to know?

What is an OCx Circuit?

'OC' stands for Optical Carrier and is used to specify the speed of fiber optic networks conforming to the SONET standard. SONET, (Synchronous Optical Networks), includes a set of signal rate multiples for transmitting digital signals on optical fiber. The base rate (OC-1) is 51.84 Mbps. Certain multiples of the base rate are provided below with bandwidth amounts. Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) makes use of some of the Optical Carrier levels.

Optical Carrier lines provide content providers, ASP's, ISP's & large enterprises with dedicated Internet connectivity. These Optical Carrier Level circuits are an ideal solution for high end bandwidth users where connectivity is essential for operations. Some examples are large data centers, high tech research facilities, university infrastructure, airport complex, and casino video security and data systems.

What is an OC3?

An OC3 can be three DS3s (T3s) or as one 155M pipe. The benefit in using DS3s is that each can be separated back out as individual T1s (each with 24 channels). To put it into perspective, the speed of an OC3 connection is 155Mbps. This is equivalent to 3 T3 lines or 100 T1 lines. An OC12 connection is 622Mbps, equivalent to 14 T3 lines or approx. 414 T1 lines.

What is an OC12?

An OC12 is approximately equal to 4 OC3s and runs at 622 Mbps. which makes it an excellent point-to-point IP delivery connection. The greatest benefit to an OC-12 is that bandwidth can be added to a business as it grows without any major system overhauls. An OC12 can also allow a business to have unlimited IP addresses which insures that growth is never limited...

What is an OC48?

An OC48 works as a reliable fiber optic backbone for large networks which require volume extensive voice/data/video traffic. It is a long-haul backbone fibre connection capable of transmitting data at 2.45 Gbps. To put it into perspective the speed of an OC48 is the equivalent of having 48 T3's OR 1,344 T1 lines

The pricing for these type of connections can vary widely depending on the carrier, location of service and the exact application for which the connection is being used. Due to this complexity it is suggested to use the services of a consultant such as FreedomFire Communications to research available providers and find the best fit to meet a specific requirement.

COVID-19 AND REMOTE WORKER ENABLEMENT

Businesses are facing unprecedented times.....and we are here to help.

Simply contact us thru either link below and tell us what you need accomplished.  We’ll take it from there.

http://DS3-Bandwidth.com   {Dedicated Bandwidth, Network Connectivity & Design, MPLS Network Engineering, Network Performance & Expense Management, Network Security Assessments & Strategies, IoT Network Ecosystems}

OR.....

https://Business-VoIP-Solution.Com   {Business VoIP Systems, Wireless Networks, Unified Communications, SDWAN, Cloud Computing, Contact Center Technology}

Business VoIP Solution .... What Does It Really Mean?

A business voip solution is an alternative to a traditional switched-voice service. Instead of using dedicated trunks between PBXs, you can share the bandwidth with your data services, making better use of the available capacity. With prioritization techniques, you can ensure that your voice traffic gets through the network in the appropriate time to maintain voice quality.

For a typical internet telephony application, assume that you have a number of offices that need to communicate with each other. The telephony traffic can be carried across the internet or across a third party network or VPN .... and be delivered to the distant end without using the PSTN or a leased line. It depends on what you want to achieve.

You can have an IP PBX for internal use only, with all your staff connected over the same LAN infrastructure as they use for data - separating voice and data traffic by using VLANs, with external access to the PSTN. If you have more than one office, you can link them using leased T1 or DS3 bandwidth lines, metro ethernet or xDSL in the same way as you would for a data service - VoIP is, after all, voice packets being transported in the same way as data packets.

As the VoIP traffic is handled just like any other data traffic, it doesn't really matter where your PBX is located, just as you can have a hosted server for your data, you can have a hosted server for your VoIP. You can have the IPPBX in your office or in a data centre, it makes no difference.

SIP trunking? Now there's a buzz phrase. SIP is a signaling protocol in the same way as H.323 or QSIG are protocols. SIP is a standard and lots of manufacturers intrepret the standard in their own way but, fortunately, lots of the SIP interpretations work together.

Session Initiation Protocol works over IP and should enable replacement of PSTN trunks by the internet. So, again, voice traffic can go over the internet instead of the PSTN with a resulting saving in cost.

Don't forget though, that the internet is unregulated and unmanaged. Voice traffic is sensitive to packet loss, delay and jitter (variation in delay). So at peak times ( just after school in the evenings and on weekends) your voice traffic may break up. Meaning it would be worthwhile looking at having a managed network service to guarantee the quality of your voice traffic for those critical calls.

VoIP works between products from the same manufacturer and sometimes it works between manufacturers. Some manufacturers have produced interfaces and some third parties will provide gateways to enable collaboration. My recommendation would be to check first.

Hardware? Go for something that lots of other people use.. Cisco, Avaya, Alcatel. Cisco started in data and moved into voice. Avaya and Alcatel started in voice and moved into IP data. They have their own ways of implementing VoIP. Cisco is only VoIP. Avaya and Alcatel can give you a migration from traditional voice, reusing handsets from their analog and digital services adding IP telephones as the transition continues. IP telephone handsets are expensive.

For more help in designing a business VoIP solution for your network .... I recommend taking advantage of the services available here:

Business VoIP Solution

Their assistance is free and and they often can find special deals from providers in your specific location.

Effective Employee Cybersecurity Awareness Training And Educational Programs Are Crucial To Protecting Your Company...Don't Take Them Lightly (VIDEO)

 Whether your workforce is onsite or remote, cybersecurity awareness training should be an integral part of the culture of your company. Empowering your employees to be a part of the cybersecurity solution will transform not only their work environment, but the cyber safety of your company. The following video shares Threat Protector, one of numerous Best-In-Class providers of employee security awareness training and educational programs we can source for you.

To learn more about all the options available to you for meeting your organization’s data protection and network security requirements (including security posture and risk assessments, and awareness training and employee education programs) .... plus comparisons of 100s of best-in-class network security / cybersecurity providers and what they have to offer ... simply ask us at http://ds3-bandwidth.com/network-security. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3.

#NetworkSecurity #Cybersecurity #cybersecurityawareness #cybersecuritytraining

3 Things You Need To Do Before Sending Your Employees Home To Work Remote During The Coronavirus Outbreak - A Survival Guide For Business Owners

Work at home declarations from the CDC and other government agencies are probably going to become the new normal. Not only could it become temporary law, it's the best way to protect your employees from exposure to the novel virus. So how can you as a business owner prepare to transition your workforce into a work-at-home team that still performs at a high level?

3 Things You Need to Do Before Sending Your Employees Home to Work Remote During the Coronavirus Outbreak - A Survival Guide for Business Owners

For free assistance with sourcing and design of the best work-from-home solution for your employees simply ask us at a link below, including any details on what you need to accomplish, and we’ll take it from there.  It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

http://DS3-Bandwidth.com (covers Network Connectivity & Design, Network Security Assessments & Strategies, MPLS Networks, IoT Ecosystems) 

OR....

http://Business-VoIP-Solution.com (covers Business VoIP, Unified Communications, SDWAN, Cloud Computing, Contact Center Technology)

Managing Billions Of Devices In The IoT Era....The Network Technologies That Will Make It Happen

Before an organization can adopt IoT, it needs to consider a number of key things such as the type of technology and network to run and manage the connected devices in a safe, secure and efficient manner. Read on for more.....

Managing Billions Of Devices In The IoT Era...The Network Technologies That Will Make It Happen

Keeping in mind that the critical foundational piece to the success of any IoT application and it’s IoT ecosystem is network connectivity. That said, this FREE resource is uniquely positioned to source the right IoT connectivity network backbone solution for any IoT application whatever it may be....wired or wireless. They can even help with the network design and security effort. All at zero cost to you.  Simply ask....it's as easy as 1, 2, 3.

http://ds3-bandwidth.com/iot-connectivity

The 5 Stages Of IIoT Initiatives

 

IIoT solutions provide powerful tools for efficiency, agility, and sustainability, enabling real-time data monitoring, predictive maintenance, supply chain optimization, and improved collaboration. The current landscape shows increased investments in IIoT by both large and small organizations, with notable early adopters successfully “crossing the chasm” and gaining more traction with the mainstream market. Microsoft, partnering with IoT Analytics, just released this week their 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 – 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐨𝐓 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 report. In this report, statistics and best practices are presented for implementing Industrial IoT (IIoT) initiatives based on three approaches: custom-build, buy-and-integrate, and buy. Each approach is evaluated for its pros and cons. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞: • 𝟔𝟓% of organizations are now executing an IoT strategy. • IIoT projects today have a 𝟏𝟒% higher success rate than five years ago. • Projects have a median break-even time of 𝟐𝟎 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬, compared to 𝟐𝟒 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 five years ago. • Approximately two in five IIoT projects today are custom-BUILD solutions. • The share of IIoT projects for which companies BUY an off-the-shelf solution increased from 𝟗% to 𝟑𝟎% in the past two years. • Implementation challenges and budget restrictions have dropped by 𝟑𝟎% and 𝟏𝟑%, respectively, as key concerns compared to five years ago. 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭: https://info.microsoft.com/ww-landing-digital-operations-signals-iiot.html ********************************************* • Follow Jeff Winter of Hitachi Solutions America on LinkedIn to stay current on Industry 4.0 and other cool tech trends. For FREE helping sourcing and designing a custom IoT ecosystem solution for your organization simply ask at the link below. Covers network connectivity, sensor technology, data analytics, and network security. http://ds3-bandwidth.com/iot-connectivity