T1 lines have been steadily growing in popularity over the past few years. In fact, households, businesses, and organizations using T1 have grown by 15% annually for the past decade. However, many are not familiar with the way T1 works, and especially what the difference is between full and fractional T1 lines.

Full T1 Lines

Full T1 is a term used to describe a telecommunications circuit that provides 1.54 megabits per second (Mbps) of high speed Internet access, which is the most common type of T1. T1 lines are also commonly used to carry telephone lines and VOIP calls.

A T1 line consists of 24 channels that transmit data at 64 Kbps each, therefore giving a full T1 line the capacity to transmit 1.54 Mbps of data synchronously (both incoming and outgoing). Alternatively, the T1 line can be used to provide a location with 24 separate telephone lines.

Nearly all office-based and retail businesses today require some type of Internet access in order to perform daily operations. The advantage to using a T1 line is that these lines are "leased" by the company, in essence reserving the connection for them only, and guaranteeing necessary bandwidth for the users. Full T1 lines are ideal for and most commonly used by offices with between 5 and 50 employees.

Fractional T1

Fractional T1 lines use the same technology, but use only a partial bit of a full T1 line. Like full T1 lines, these fractional lines can be used to provide Internet, networking, and voice services.

Fractional T1 lines are available in nearly any factor of the full T1 24 channel circuit. For example, the most common type of fractional T1 is a 12 channel connection, which provides 768 Kbps transfer rate. Since each individual channel provides 64Kbps, many connection speeds are available.

Since full T1 lines have become more affordable, the use of fractional T1 lines has decreased, as people opt for just a full T1 connection. Fractional lines are less cost-effective than they were when they were more commonly used.

Integrated T1

T1 is a becoming a popular solution for many businesses due to its ability to suited to specific uses. One T1 line can provide local, long-distance, and bandwidth all on a single connection. For example, a full T1 line call be used to provide 12 telephone lines, and 768 Kbps data transfer at 64Kbps per remaining channel (12). Consolidating telephone and Internet service with one T1 line can be a very convenient and cost-effective solution for many small businesses.

Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent of Cavalier Sales Agent. The telecommunications company provides phone, internet, and digital television services to the Mid Atlantic region. For more information on their Telecommunications Services please visit their website.