| If you run a small or medium sized business then | | | | single T1 connection can support up to 24 |
| you will want a reliable and cost-effective means | | | | telephone calls at any time. |
| to connect to the internet. T1 internet access | | | | You can choose different levels of T1 service. |
| allows your employees to effectively use the | | | | With Integrated T1 you can allocate some of the |
| internet to communicate with vendors, with | | | | 24 channels to voice (telephone) services. The |
| customers and with each other. T1 is very much | | | | others can all be used for data. |
| faster than dial-up connections, and unlike ADSL | | | | Smaller businesses can choose Fractional or |
| connections T1 connections are symmetric: the | | | | Burstable T1 services. Fractional T1 gives you less |
| upload speed is the same as the download speed. | | | | than 24 channels but costs are correspondingly |
| When choosing a T1 provider you need to | | | | lower. Burstable T1 is a "pay as you go" |
| consider your business requirements to determine | | | | arrangement. You can have a guaranteed amount |
| what level of service you require. You can assess | | | | of bandwidth at all times, and have access to |
| your requirements yourself or employ a | | | | higher bandwidth to deal with traffic peaks. |
| consultant. | | | | Lastly, Bonded T1 offers the greater bandwidth |
| T1 is a symmetrical connection from your | | | | of multiple T1 connections to your business. T1 |
| business to the internet. Data transfer speeds for | | | | service providers will work with you to identify |
| a single T1 line are 1.5 Mbits/s, which is 30 times | | | | which level of service is best for your business. |
| faster than dial up connections. T1 is also an | | | | Reliability of internet and telephone connection is |
| "always on" technology unlike older dial up | | | | important to businesses. A Service Level |
| connections. | | | | Agreement (SLA) with your T1 provider will |
| Many users are now familiar with technologies | | | | guarantee the level of service you need. With this |
| such as ADSL which offer high download speeds | | | | type of agreement the provider will pay penalties |
| and always on connection. However ADSL | | | | if the connection downtime exceeds the agreed |
| technologies are asymmetric: the upload speed is | | | | limits. |
| much slower than the download speed. This can | | | | Identifying the technical needs of your business |
| make ADSL a poor choice for business and office | | | | can be difficult. Consultants may be employed to |
| environments: one or two outgoing emails with | | | | determine the precise requirements of any small |
| large file attachments could degrade your | | | | and medium sized business, and to help choose |
| connection badly. T1 is a symmetric technology: | | | | the service level required from the T1 line |
| upload and download speeds are the same, and a | | | | provider. |