T1 PRI For PBX Telephony
A T1 PRI, also called an ISDN PRI, is a "Primary Rate Interface"
providing 23 individual digitized telephone lines plus data such
as Caller ID on a single digital telephone trunk line. A PRI line
is usually much less expensive than a dozen or more analog business
phone lines.
Reliable Retail Point of Sale
Systems Connectivity
Retail locations, such as grocery stores, quick service restaurants,
and hardware stores need fast, dependable POS bandwidth for credit
card transactions, inventory management, and financial reporting.
T1 lines are ideal for this application, as they are far more
reliable than DSL service.
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.
T1 Digital Cross Connect Systems
A digital cross connect system, often abbreviated DCS or DCAS,
allows you to switch traffic among your T1 lines. It will even
reach into the line to connect individual channels or timeslots
rather than the entire circuit. A manual device that cross connects
T1 lines is called a DCX or patch panel.
How do T1 and DS1 differ?
In general conversation, T1 and DS1 refer to the same thing. But
strictly speaking, T1 refers to a physical line circuit consisting
of 2 pair of copper wires with strict line signal specifications.
DS1 stands for Digital Signal level 1. DS1 is the service level
you get on a T1 line. However, DS1 also is part of the digital
signal hierarchy used in T3 lines and SONET fiber optic carriers.