Sharing Business Broadband
Costs
Even smaller businesses can have high performance dedicated Internet
access by splitting the cost of a T1 line with other businesses
in their building or business park.
Bonding T1 Lines for Higher
Bandwidth
While a standard T1 line provides 1.5 Mbps upload and download
bandwidth, lines can be bonded to create total bandwidths of 3
Mbps, 4.5 Mbps, 6 Mbps, 7.5 Mbps, 9 Mbps, 10.5 Mbps and 12 Mbps.
An advantage T1 lines have over fiber optic connections is that
they are available nearly everywhere without special construction.
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.