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The Evolution of Integrated T1 Service
Friday October 31, 2008,
01:22 pm ET
CEDAR HILLS, Utah, Oct. 31 /Patrick Oborn/ --
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.
Is the era of the analog trunk, or bundle of 24 DS-0 (64 kbps) channels,
officially over? Possibly, thanks to the two-for-the-price-of-one features
of a dynamic integrated T1, which can function exactly like a pure 1.5 mbps
data T1 when no one is one the phone, and allocate required bandwidth
for voice traffic when a user initiates a phone call. Likewise, as soon
as the client terminates the voice session, the 64 KB is re-assigned back
to the digital universe. This switch-hitting capability provides all
of the feel and function of a data T1 and voice T1, for a fraction of the price.
Adoption of new technologies take time, and dynamic integrated T1 service is no
different. Since the telephone service is regarded more as a utility than anything,
business pay very little attention to changes in the industry. Significant price
reductions and incentive packages need to be placed on their doorstep by proactive
consultants and telecom salespeople in order to grab their attention. However, once
the new technology begins becoming commonplace in the industry, momentum builds
and soon the new products become standard. Businesses soon see themselves at a
disadvantage to their piers if they don't adapt and keep up.
There are two basic "integrated" DS-1 configurations, analog and digital. The 24-line
bundle in which they come is termed a "trunk". The main difference between analog and
digital trunks is their flexibility. With digital trunks, voice lines not in use
can be dynamically reconfigured to carry data traffic, so they don't sit idle.
Analog trunks on the other hand can not change their function once configured
by the service provider. Data channels remain data channels and the same for
voice channels, even if there is no voice traffic.
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.
Recent advances in technology, fostered by competition from growing CLECs, is bringing
integrated T1 services to small business everywhere. And the trend doesn't look like
it will change anytime soon. CLECs continue to grow their networks, offering more
advanced services like metro ethernet, MPLS, and more.
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