T1 Fiber Optic For Business

T1 Fiber Optic Internet Connections and Uses

It can be tough selecting from the many choices out there. Especially if you don’t understand the differences between them or why they’re right for you.

The simplest, most reliable choice for a business owner would be to select a T1 fiber optic.

What is T1 Fiber Optic?

T1 internet connections are reserved circuits that work over copper or fiber-optic cables. This makes them very reliable and capable of higher speed. Although they can be slightly more expensive than other internet options as a result.

A T1 line connects into your network’s router and comes with 24 channels as standard. Each channel has a potential of 64 kilobytes per second as its upper limit. What does this mean? Mathematically, this makes your T1 connection capable of speeds up to 1.5 megabytes per second.

This includes both upload and download. Most businesses require a significant amount of upload speed if they want to stream and teleconference, so this is important to remember.

What Are T1 Connections Used For

T1 connections were developed for the Bell System, originally intended as high speed digital systems that allowed you to put dozens of phone calls onto a single phone line that connected company offices.

Once upon a time, these used specialized equipment that meant only a few big corporates could use them. But that's changed since.

The telecom industry underwent lots of transformations in the 1980s and 1990s, and the spread of the internet brought forth lots of new technologies. This helped T1 reach the average business owner.

Internet service providers began to use T1 lines to connect small businesses with dial-in modem banks and wireless hot-spots.

Today, you can find T1 in nearly every major city, and all you must do is go to a service provider’s website to find the regions they support. If a T1 isn’t fast enough for you, then you have the options of T2 and T3 internet connections as well. These offer significantly boosted download/upload speed.

Why T1 Fiber Optic is Great for Businesses

1. It’s ideal for high bandwidth services.

What does fast bandwidth mean? It’s the ability to handle data transmitted in a given amount of time. If you consume a lot of data in a short amount of time, you need a system that can tolerate high bandwidth activity.

Think of streaming or hosting virtual meetings. These applications require high bandwidth to run seamlessly and without choppy video output. Without a considerable upload speed, you can't enjoy a smooth video conference with your co-workers.

T1 has symmetrical internet speeds, meaning the upload and download bandwidths tend to be similar.

This is in direct contrast to cable and broadband, which have asymmetrical internet speeds. You experience these high download speeds and low upload speeds at the same time.

2. It’s accessible.

You can probably find T1 services anywhere you can find a telephone connection. The additional 24 channels you get with T1 means that you get extra flexibility as well.

Other services like cable connections cover specific regions only. In places you don't have established cable infrastructure, you might need satellite or something else entirely. As long as you need to keep multiple computers online, T1 is a great option.

3. It’s a high performance connection.

T1 might come with slightly higher costs compared to cable, but they make up for it with their dedicated lines.

What's the point of having a dedicated line? Well, you enjoy consistent speeds day and night. You won't be vulnerable to changes in speeds due to weather events, or increased internet usage in your neighborhood. A dedicated line also allows you to enjoy reliable latency, no matter how far you are from your internet provider's location.

In fact, T1 often comes with Service Level Agreements that agree to provide you with a strict set of speeds and bandwidth at any given time. This allows your business to enjoy uninterrupted activity and speeds 24/7 with a promise of immediate resolution any time you suffer from connection issues.

In the event there’s downtime, then you’re usually quicker to receive customer support as well. Your service agreement comes with speed, latency, packet loss, and downtime rules that are strictly defined and agreed to. These allow you to reliably deliver services to your customers, without fear of fluctuations in your service.

A T1 line can also carry much more data than a traditional cable modem. About 60 times more data. In the remote event of any kind of downtime the copper or fiber optic infrastructure is quicker and easier to repair than cable connections.

4. It’s incredibly reliable.

T1 lines are different from regular cable lines. If a weather event can knock out a cable line, it probably won’t knock out a T1 line because of the different infrastructure used to maintain the connections.

When a main line is knocked out, it doesn’t affect you.

And when the provider performs repairs on their lines, it typically doesn’t affect their T1 customers. Its high reliability is the reason it’s used for QoS, VOIP, video, VPN, and critical applications.

Is T1 Right For My Business

Do you have more than ten people in your office?

Are you tired of slow, laggy connections and outages with your existing internet?

If you run a call center, legal office, insurance business, medical facility, school, bank, credit union, or host servers, then a T1 connection might be ideal for you.

T1 connectivity varies depending on your region. Most carriers install T1 in locations that tend to have other businesses in proximity. Your cost will vary based on your location, but you can't do any better when it comes to reliability and performance.

Most major cities have instantly available T1 services.

The only time you might not find a proper connection is, if you happen to live in a remote area. And even then, you can have a line installed in your locality for a small cost.