Cost

Cost is almost always the single most important criteria in the network design. As such, network
designers and architects are required to weigh the relative cost of a WAN technology against the
services that it provides. Again, Frame Relay frequently reduces the costs of a WAN circuit compared
to a point-to-point leased line. The network architect needs to weigh this cost differentiation
against the other factors used in determining the appropriate WAN protocol to use.
Table 22.6 compares the costs of various WAN technologies.