A Type II circuit is a circuit that a provider delivers partly over local access it orders from another carrier, then connects to its own network. The provider you contract with sells and supports the service, but the segment into your building, often called the tail circuit, belongs to or is supplied by a different carrier. The two networks typically meet at a network-to-network interface (NNI). The term is industry shorthand closely tied to off-net delivery, and providers use it slightly differently, so it is worth confirming what each quote means.
At a glance
- A Type II circuit combines another carrier’s access with the selling provider’s network and service.
- A Type I circuit, by contrast, usually means one the provider classifies as delivered from its own network.
- You have one contract and one provider to call, but two carriers sit in the delivery and repair path.
- Type II delivery affects install lead times, repair coordination and whether “diverse” circuits really are diverse.
- It is common for dedicated internet access, Ethernet and private line services at sites outside a provider’s footprint.
What problem it solves
Providers want to sell to customers at every address, but their networks reach only some buildings. Rather than building new fiber everywhere, they order access from a carrier that already serves the building and connect it to their network. That lets one provider serve many sites, including those outside its footprint, under a single contract.
For buyers, Type II delivery widens choice. It lets you buy from a preferred provider at a site where only another carrier has last mile facilities, and it lets aggregators and national providers quote service across a mixed portfolio of locations.
How it works
Ordering. When a provider classifies your address as off-net, it requests access from one or more local carriers, chooses an option, and builds your quote around it. The access carrier’s pricing and lead time feed into what you see.
Delivery. The access carrier installs its circuit to your building and hands it to your provider, usually at an NNI in a carrier hotel, data center or other meet point. Your provider carries the traffic from there across its own network and delivers the service you bought, such as dedicated internet access or an Ethernet circuit.
Support. You report faults to your provider. It tests its side and opens a ticket with the access carrier if the fault appears to be in the local segment. How quickly the access carrier responds is governed by its agreement with your provider, not with you.
Commercials. Your provider’s SLA usually covers the whole service, but repair times and credits may be measured differently for leased access. Construction charges on the access side are often passed through.
Providers that combine access from many carriers are covered on our network aggregation page.
When it matters for buyers
- Planning redundancy. If two providers both deliver Type II using the same local carrier, your “diverse” circuits may share a path. Ask about the access carrier and route for each, and consider carrier diversity.
- Opening new sites. Type II delivery can add weeks to lead times while the access carrier builds or schedules installation.
- Critical sites. Where every hour of downtime matters, a second carrier in the repair path is worth weighing.
- Comparing quotes. One provider may be Type I and another Type II at the same address, explaining differences in price and lead time.
Questions to ask vendors
- Will this site be delivered over your own network or over access from another carrier? Which carrier?
- Where is the hand-off between the access carrier and your network?
- Does your SLA cover the leased access end to end, including repair time?
- How do you escalate faults with the access carrier, and how long does that typically take?
- Are there construction or pass-through charges from the access carrier?
- If we buy a second circuit for redundancy, will it use a different access carrier and physical route?
How it differs from a tail circuit
A tail circuit is the access segment itself, the stretch connecting your site to a provider’s network. A Type II circuit describes the whole service when that tail comes from another carrier: the leased access plus the provider’s network and support. A Type II circuit uses a tail ordered from another carrier, while a tail circuit can also be the provider’s own access, as in a Type I delivery.