T1 vs DSL for Business Broadband
T1 lines set up as T1 Dedicated Internet connections give business
users guaranteed bandwidth of 1.5 Mbps both upload and download,
plus a SLA service level agreement to assure line reliability.
DSL is a "best effort" Internet service that is offered
without any service guarantee on a shared connection. Bandwidth
varies depending on how heavily other businesses are using the
connection.
Channelized and Unchannelized
T1 Lines
A T1 line may be configured as a single large pipe offering 1.5
Mbps data transport or as 24 individual channels of 64 Kbps each,
ideal for use as individual outside telephone lines to support
Key or PBX business telephone systems.
Channelized T1 vs ISDN PRI
T1 lines can support two protocols of switched circuit telephony.
Channelized T1 lines offer 24 phone lines using in-band signaling.
ISDN PRI, or Primary Rate Interface, offers 23 phone lines and
common channel signaling that can include data such as ANI Automatic
Number Identification or Caller ID.
Fractional T1 Service as a
Money Saver
Not all businesses need the full 1.5 Mbps of a T1 line, but want
higher availability and the dedicated bandwidth offered by T-carrier
digital service. In many cases, fractional T1 services offers
a fraction of the bandwidth at a lowered monthly lease price.
Fractional T3 service may also be available for bandwidth needs
between 1.5 and 45 Mbps.
Bandwidth to Support Convergence
Convergence means combining or converging voice, data and video
onto a single network. Enterprises usually need to expand their
LAN bandwidth and set up a QoS or Quality of Service priority
system to give priority to real-time streams such as telephone
calls or video conference feeds, which are more sensitive to network
delays than data transfers. Most often, the common protocol for
convergence is IP.