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A T1 line is a popular broadband telephone communication line between two points that is set up by a public carrier, such as AT&T, MCI, or Western Union. The T1 (or T-1) carrier is the most commonly used broadband digital line in the United States, Canada, and Japan. It is capable of transmitting complex data very quickly and can carry around 1,544,000 bits (1.5 megabits) per second over twenty-four channels. T1 lines use copper wire.

A T1 is a high speed connection to the Internet that is intended to be shared across a network. A T1 serves as the backbone for a network's Internet bandwidth. The computers on the network receive their bandwidth from the T1. The more broadband computer users there are on the network, the bigger the backbone needs to be.

The monthly cost is typically based on distance. T1 lines are widely used for private networks as well as to connect an organization's PBX or LAN with the telephone company. As early as the 1960s, T1 was deployed in intercity trunks by AT&T to improve signal quality and make more efficient use of the network.

The number one difference between a T1 Internet connection and ISDN or DSL is speed. Download speeds for a T1 are twelve times the highest speeds possible on ISDN and more than twice as fast as the entry level DSL service. A T-1 is a synchronous connection, which means that your upload and download speeds are the same. It is also a full-duplex circuit, which means traffic going in one direction does not slow traffic going in the other direction.

Perhaps the most important difference between T1 and a DSL or ISDN connection is reliability. A T1 circuit is a dedicated point-to-point broadband connection from the customer's network to the telephone company’s central office and then to the ISP. It is “hard wired”, does not require authentication, and includes static IP assignments.

A T1 line is perfect for small and medium sized businesses needing a broadband Internet service provider for twenty to fifty internet users. A T1 line is a twenty-four channel circuit providing an broadband Internet connection straight from the provider backbone. This makes a T1 line a very stable and reliable connection. Depending on the location (distance from the nearest Central Office) and T1 provider availability, T1 service pricing ranges from $350 to $1,200 monthly.

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