How Much Total Bandwidth Is Provided by a T1 Line?
Being on the verge of always having a better, faster internet connection has been going on since the internet introduction years ago. There are many types of internet connection, starting from the standard cable connection, via DSL and T1 line to optic fiber and wireless connection, as the latest trends.
T1 line can provide an upload and download speed of 1.544Mbps. This is delivered by optic or coax phone cables to users in a closed network circuit. The speed of the T1 line can be increased by bonding two or more lines together, where the bandwidth multiplies accordingly.
Before you make a decision on which internet connection is the best for you, read the article to find out the advantages of T1 lines, and also different types that can be installed.
What Is Standard Bandwidth for T1 Cable?
T1 lines can be differentiated by the type of cable they are using – they have either an optic fiber or a standard copper coax telephone cable in their center. This cable is used to transfer data from the source to the destination.
These cables are capable of providing a stable connection and can guarantee 1.544Mbps of upload and download speed that is delivered by one of two types of cables. This is considered to be a standard, high-speed internet connection that can be provided in a network that is using T1 lines.
T1 lines are very popular and interesting to the business world because there is an option of Service agreement, which can guarantee the bandwidth, and also provide maintenance service. This is important because every issue with the connection can be solved very quickly, which is very important for businesses.
Because of this, T1 lines are considered to be a better option than DSL or standard cable internet access. Other names for this line are Internet T1, T1 circuit, T1 leased line, and Bonded T1.
The best thing with the T1 is that it represents a closed circuit, meaning that the upload and download speeds will be reserved only for the users in that specific network. This is different from a standard cable internet, where your bandwidth depends on the internet usage of your neighbors.
T1 has the capacity of providing the guaranteed bandwidth to a maximum of 24 users. This is the optimal number if you want to use the T1 network to the maximum.
Is T1 More Expensive than Cable Internet?
The main reason why certain businesses are not using the T1 is because of the price. T1 lines are much more expensive than the standard cable internet, and this is because of the many advantages you are getting with the T1 that the cable internet is lacking.
First of all, you have the guaranteed bandwidth which you don’t get with the cable internet. It is very hard to keep the upload and download speed the same for every user in the network, disregarding the amount of workload.
Another issue that T1 solves is the same (or symmetrical) upload and download speed. Standard cable internet usually has a download speed that is higher than the upload one, because most households do tend to download more content than uploading it.
The issue may arise when some businesses require a higher upload speed, for example, due to the nature of their business. This is why T1 is perfect as a business solution since it provides the same download and upload speed, so the users don’t have to worry about that.
Another advantage of the T1 service is that you can combine data and voice transmission packages, in agreement with your service providers. No matter which package you choose, you should have guaranteed support from your provider.
All these costs may seem small when calculated one by one, but they do add up in the end, and that is the reason why the T1 network costs more than the standard cable one.
Integrated and Data T1 Lines
There are two basic types of T1 lines – the integrated and data T1 lines. Integrated T1 lines are capable of transferring both voice and data throughout the network, while the data T1 lines are only transferring data.
Integrated T1 lines are very popular with businesses since many prefer to have only one provider for both services, rather than having two separate ones. Having everything with one provider can help cost-cutting and easier cost tracking.
Although it may seem like you are making a save, the integrated T1 lines are actually the most expensive ones, since they are very convenient.
These lines tend to allocate the channels for data transfer or voice transfer, meaning that the speed will be lower since voice and data transfers cannot be done at the same time.
Data T1 line is also known as T1 internet since it was made only for data transfer. This means that you cannot transfer voice data as you can do with the integrated T1 line.
Data T1 line can make sure that the bandwidth is constant and steady since the channels are not interrupted by voice data, for example. Full 1.544Mbps is guaranteed at all times. If this is not fast enough for your business, you can combine T1 lines.
If you bond two T1 lines, you will have twice the bandwidth available – 3Mbps. If you bond four T1 lines, you will have 6Mbps and so on. Keep in mind that a single T1 line is already a very expensive venture, so make sure to judge your budget reasonably.
Channelized and Unchannelized T1 Lines
There are two types of T1 lines – channelized and unchannelized service. I have already mentioned the channelized service by saying that the maximum user number is 24. This refers to the channelized T1 line.
In a channelized T1 line, the bandwidth is separated or segmented into 24 channels. Each of those channels will have a speed of 64kbps. For example, 23 out of 24 channels will be reserved for calls, while the last one will be preset to carry information like the called ID.
