If I was an IT Manager and I was tasked with finding the best carrier to use for a new 10 Mb connection to the Internet I could contact the direct account representative for all of the carriers I have previously worked with.  With high turnover you may not be able to find the same people you worked with before but once you find an individual willing to help you could ultimately request that a quote be sent to you by the following week.  If you’re lucky enough to find someone that has the skills you require, with the engineering support they need you’ll be on the right track.  Now make that same call to AT&T, Qwest, Level 3, Paetec, XO, Integra, Sprint, C-Beyond and any other carrier you’ve previously done business with or you could make one call to a “Carrier Agnostic” telecom agency.

The benefits of working with a “Carrier Agnostic” agency are great.  Because of the multiple carrier relationships that these agencies posses they can do all of the number crunching for you – whether it’s a 10 Mb Ethernet connection, a 20 site MPLS WAN, or a new office with 3 phone lines and a DSL – they’ll do the homework and provide you with the best options available.  Once you’ve made the decision on which carrier best meets your needs, the agency will then implement the order on your behalf and manage the process until services are in place.  They’ll never bill clients for their service – but are compensated by the carriers for placing your service.  Instead of paying a direct account representative a commission, the carriers will pay the agency. 

The difference is that the “Carrier Agnostic” agency has a 100 mile-up view and can see all of the promotions being offered by all of the carriers.  As a result they can often provide their customers the very best deals available.  If you require engineering assistance for your solution it’s included as part of the package.  A good telecom agency will usually be looking for the right and best priced solution for you along with a long term relationship that will grow year by year.  Most of the individuals you’ll work with at these agencies have an ownership stake and are vested in the customer’s they support.  long term relationships is what drives this business model.