T1 line is made up of 24 digitized voice channels, each channel carrying 64 kilobits per second. Being a full-duplex circuit allows it to transmit and receive 1.544 megabits per second.
When we think about transmitting voice and data we often connect it to the usual telephone lines we’ve grown to recognize to be the carrier of the two ever since. But have you heard that there’s a new trend in transmitting voice and data that is a lot times better than a twisted copper telephone lines? Yes, there is and it has been around for years. It is simply called T1.
Some problems with the definitions above, to wit:
"Digital signal 1 (DS1, sometimes DS-1) is a T-carrier signaling scheme devised by Bell Labs.[SUP][1][/SUP] DS1 is a widely used standard in telecommunications in North America and Japan to transmit voice and data between devices. E1 is used in place of T1 outside North America, Japan, and South Korea. Technically, DS1 is the logical bit pattern used over a physical T1 line; however, the terms "DS1" and "T1" are often used interchangeably, although incorrectly."
^ "How Bell Ran in Digital Communications" September 1996, webpage: BYTE-Bell: Bell Labs scientists developed a time-division multiplexing scheme, T1.
The poster is correct in his speed definitions toward the bottom of the posting, and is also correct in the fact that a T1 will "take a few days." Depending on the distance involved, the engineering of the circuit involved, and the inter-carrier cooperation, such an installation can take a couple of months to engineer and deploy.
T1 type services are being replaced with alternative services over fiber now, and and Comcast can now deliver up to 200 Gigabytes per second, over fiber, in their service areas where they have upgraded their networks to full digital service and have deployed their enterprise business class services.
Even slower services from carriers like Comcast are beating the pants off traditional T1 pricing and reliability. In the Chicago area, I can get 100 meg up, 10 down, soon to be 20 down, for less than $600.00 per month. 200 Gigabytes tops out around $25K per month. I can get 12 down and 2 up for about $50.00 per month.
Comcast's network, where they have upgraded their network, is also 100% fiber based to within a few blocks of the coaxial deployment. Unlike the older copper cables, buried in the ground for eons in some communities, this makes their services highly reliable. Comcast also provides much faster service when there is a problem. For business class customers, this typically means a problem is resolved within minutes, vs the hours or days of companies like AT&T. [Remember, the local telco almost always owns the copper cable hanging on the polls and buried in the ground, and, when a fault does occur, you will be at he mercy of the company over which your services travel to get the repairs made.
In the three years I have been working with Comcast business class services, I have moved more than 6,000 customers away from traditional copper T-1 type services, and given them much higher bandwidth, and much greater reliability in the process.
Look beyond the box - don't limit your bandwidth mindset to traditional carriers. You will not only save a ton of money, but will also have much more reliable service.