Definition 1. - 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 2. - 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 North Dakota State College T1 line is in common use today in ISP (Internet Service Provider) connections to the Internet

Definition 3. - 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.

Definition 4. - 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.

North Dakota State College, North Dakota, Oct. 20 /Craig Docken/ -- Small businesses all over the country are discovering a whole new universe of broadband access. As the price of commercial-grade telecommunication services continues to drop, more and more enterprises are starting to drop their plain old telephone service lines in favor of all-digital T1 trunks that deliver voice and data over the same connection. These new enhancements were made possible by the increasing pace of consolidation in the telecommunication industry along with the increasing value bigger phone companies can provide.

The irony of the new small business communications revolution is that it took so long to gain traction. The whole idea of reclaiming inactive voice channels for data applications is not new, and was introduced by many CLEC operators over five years ago. So why did it take so long for SMB's to adopt the technology and make the change? One might argue that the Internet bubble burst in 2000 shook many people's confidence in telecommunications, one of the hardest hit industries. With so many telecoms going out of business, or merging with other small players just to stay solvent, many customers took the "wait and see" approach before making the decision to entrust their communications with a company not associated with Ma Bell. Now that economic Darwinism has taken hold, the remaining companies are attracting new customers who see the benefits of the new technology without the downside risk of loosing service or not being able to get through to customer service in the pinch.

The question remains, if this new technology is so progressive, why did it take over five years to gain broad appeal to SMB's across the country? One industry analyst from the Telecommunications Research Institute observed that many customers who consume commercial-grade phone service became very untrusting of telecom providers after the Internet bubble burst in 2000 and the MCI bankruptcy proceedings full of allegations of fraud and embezzlement. After all, no customer wants to come to work one day just to find out that their connection to the outside world has been shut down due to financially unstable service providers not being able to run a profitable or ethical business. Now, due to a series of acquisitions and mergers, the "survivors" are offering great products at rates that SMB's can't continue to ignore. The CLEC's and Bells are quickly gaining traction with the very important demographic.

Dynamic integrated T1s are a fairly new phenomenon. Unlike their analog counterparts that can never deviate from their initial set up configurations, dynamic T1s are able to convert voice phone calls into data packets and them prioritize their delivery through an all-digital trunk. The ability to break everything down into the lowest common denominator (digital) allows the system to change on-the-fly to reclaim phone lines for high speed Internet the second the phone call is terminated. An integrated T1 essentially provides the end user the same service as one data T1 line and one voice T1 line, for half the cost.

To see how customers are reacting to this new product, we interviewed a series of small business owners in North Dakota who are currently using the service. One such individual shared with us his enthusiasm for the enhanced capabilities dynamic service offers. "When I was first contacted about the dynamic integrated T1, I was deeply skeptical of what I was hearing. Over the course of my brief dealings with telephone companies, all I got was less service with more cost. Now I am happy to say that I am getting more for less, which makes for one very happy customer."

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.

Will this train of innovation, lower prices, and services that add value to SMB's continue to roll down the tracks of progress? It's all up to our government - and which political party controls the FCC. Without the deregulation act of 1996, we would have never known just how much the CLECs were capable of. With the help of super-CLECs like XO Communications, PAETEC, Nuvox, One Communications, Cavalier Telephone, and TelePacific, small business owners everywhere now have access to non-Bell service that is on par or better than those being offered by the former Bells. Integrated T1s that do more and cost less have transformed into a solid beach head for the newcomers.

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