Definition 1. - The T-carrier system, introduced by the Bell system in the US in the 1960's, was the first successful system that supported digitalised voice transmission. The original transmission rate (1.544 Mbps) in the Galchutt T1 line is in common use today in ISP (Internet Service Provider) connections to the Internet

Definition 2. - The T1 (or T-1) carrier is the most commonly used digital line in the United States, Canada, and Japan. In these countries, it carries 24 pulse code modulation (PCM) signals using time-division multiplexing (TDM) at an overall rate of 1.544 million bits per second (Mbps). T1 lines use copper wire and span distances within and between major metropolitan areas. A T1 Outstate System has been developed for longer distances between cities.

Definition 3. - A high-speed digital connection capable of transmitting data at a rate of approximately 1.5 million bits per second. A T1 line is typically used by small and medium-sized companies with heavy network traffic. It is large enough to send and receive very large text files, graphics, sounds, and databases instantaneously, and is the fastest speed commonly used to connect networks to the Internet. Sometimes referred to as a leased line, a T1 is basically too large and too expensive for individual home use.

Definition 4. - A type of high speed Internet connection that provides a great deal of bandwidth. Many businesses lease T1 lines to connect to the Internet, but because they are expensive and offer more bandwidth than most small businesses and homes need, they are not realistic solutions for small and low-demand Internet users.

Galchutt, North Dakota, Aug. 11 /Cynthia Thomas/ -- The digital universe, and the way people connect to it, is changing. Small businesses, in particular, are discovering new high-speed Internet and telecom options that are now squarely within their budgets. Through a myriad of mergers and acquisitions, telecommunication providers have greatly enhanced their integrated T1 products with features that businesses can't live without, all while dropping the price to about half of what they were just two years ago.

Integrated T1s comes in two basic configurations: digital and analog trunks, with a trunk being a 24-line (or channel) bundle. The newer, digital trunks, however, are able to run both voice and data over the same channels. By assigning priority to the voice traffic whenever it is present, a dynamic integrated trunk can provide the end-user with a full 1.5 MBPS of data throughput if no phone calls are in progress. As more voice lines are required, less data lines are available. Analog trunks are all pre-assigned to either voice or data traffic, and do not reconfigure in the event there is no voice traffic.

The old-school integrated T-1 was analog in nature, and came with 24 configurable channels (called a trunk) which could be configured to carry either voice or data traffic. The new "dynamic" trunks are all-digital and can change on-the-fly to carry either data or voice traffic. This comes in handy when none of the voice lines are in use - all channels can revert to carrying data traffic, giving the end-use a full 1.5 MBPS of broadband. Each phone call requires only 64K of bandwidth, so even a small handful of calls only slows down the data connection by a nominal amount.

The two basic Integrated T1 line configurations, as they exist in today's market, are analog and digital. Commonly referred to as "trunks", these 24-channel bundles transmit TDM signals directly to the service provider's network via a local loop. Unlike analog trunks, whose configuration can not change once the channels have been allocated, digital "dynamic" lines can change reconfigure themselves from data, to voice, and back again. This ability to reclaim voice channels for data broadband access when not in use gives the user the performance of two T1's in one.

Min Lieu owns a small insurance agency in North Dakota. Five years ago he signed up with XO Communications for a TDM-based integrated T1 line for $870/month, which did not include local or long distance calling. Recently, he was offered XO's version of a dynamic circuit called "XO Flex" for half of the price he was already paying. "I would have been a fool not to take the deal" stated Mr. Lieu. "I'm able to add headcount with additional voice lines, without any increase in expense or degradation in high-speed Internet performance."

"The marriage of lower price points and feature-rich T-1 services have made it so that customers can now get more bang for less buck" observed Kent Stallions, telecom expert at PK Communications. "The good old days of the Bells charging people $50/month for regular POTs lines without them having another alternative are over. With the advent of sub-$450 dynamic integrated T1 service, businesses are able to get up to 1.5 Mbps of Internet connectivity and 24 phone lines all in one package, for less than what they pay now for 5 regular phone lines" Stallions continued.

But how much longer will we continue to see improved technology, services, and prices? It's all in the hands of the Federal Communications Commission, as they have the power to sqwash the CLECs by proxy. No wonder AT&T and Verizon are the two biggest lobbying powers in Washington. It makes you wonder what kind of services they would be able to offer had they plowed that money into R&D instead of politics. Once a forgotten segment of the business telecommunication landscape, small to medium size businesses are finally being serviced with products (like the dynamic integrated T1 line) at prices they can afford. Gone are the days when the Bells can shove TDM services down the collective throats of SMB's at prices that resemble a mortgage rather than a telephone service.

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