Logical Net: T1/T3 Connectivity

We are experiencing a breakneck growth in the interconnection of personal computers, terminals and telephones in the business environment. T1/T3technology is proving to be a cost-effective means of linking voice and data, both inter-office and intra-office, and serves as an alternative to high speed modems for data transport.

Q: what is a T1 Connection?

A: A T1 is a symmetrical connection, allowing for downloads and uploads of up to 1.5 Mbps – 30 times as fast as 56k dial-up. A single T1 connection can support dozens to hundreds of users, but speed and efficiency drops as more people use it simultaneously.

Q: What is a T3 or D3 line?

A: T3 connections are advanced versions of T1 and T2 broadband connections that provide high speed connectivity to large organizations as well as individual users. T3 connections consist of two receiving and two transmitting fiber optic cables that are capable of transmitting data at forty five megabits per second. T3 connections are best suited for organizations that need an affordable way of maintaining high speed connectivity within the organization and other entities such as customers, suppliers and government agencies.

Q: Why buy a T1 when DSL is less expensive?

A: Reliability is the primary concern when using DSL. On average, the uptime for DSL isn’t as good as it is with a T1 connection. Often service level agreements (SLAs) are not offered with DSL service. Even though a DSL connection can support many simultaneous users, it is not optimal for applications requiring a lot of bandwidth such as streaming video or larger files. The savings you may gain from using DSL can be offset by how much you compromise your critical business applications.