A Tier 1 provider typically offers 99.9% up-time, impressive security, continuous and clean power, and protection from fire, earthquakes, and other disasters. The most important characteristic of a Tier 1 provider is their Internet backbone. They can provide direct paths over major data highways, in comparison to Tier 2 providers, that may need to send your data across several slower roads. A Tier 1 provider can take you from the West Coast to the East Coast in one big step, while Tier 2 providers may need to pass your data to other networks along the way.