| Once the unobtainable dream of small telephone users | | | | is important to remember the impact local phone |
| and later the obscure dream of data fanatics the T1 | | | | companies have on service and cost. |
| line is much more common and accessible. T1 lease | | | | Birch Telecom provides T1 lines to customers in ten |
| rates are still beyond cost-effective for small (i. E. | | | | southern and central states. Birch serves over a half |
| Residential) users but prices have dropped to levels | | | | million customers in the service area. For Southeastern |
| that may be worth investigating for small businesses. | | | | states Business Telecom Incorporated (BTI) can |
| There are several websites that will help a buyer | | | | provide T1 lines across 4,400 miles of fiber for fast |
| compare prices for the T1 Internet providers in their | | | | reliable service. |
| local area. | | | | For customers in the Northeastern states one of the |
| The installation costs are pretty much standard among | | | | regional T1 Circuit providers is Conversent |
| the providers and a significant portion of the cost | | | | Communications LLC. This company owns more than |
| actually comes from the local phone companies that | | | | 2000 miles of fiber optic network in the region. North |
| are required to install and maintain the local loop. This | | | | and Northwestern states can choose Eschelon |
| local loop is the link from the phone company switch | | | | Telecom Incorporated as a regional provider. |
| center to the T1 user location. This connection is the | | | | Telepacific Communications is a multi-regional carrier |
| same whether the full T1 line is used or a fractional T1 | | | | with coverage in California, Nevada and Illinois. This |
| is leased. The only variable is the bandwidth charge | | | | company has web hosting, internet access and full |
| which makes up only 10% of the total cost of providing | | | | featured voice services in addition to the high speed |
| a T1 Bandwidth. For this reason fractional T1 lines | | | | data. Texas customers have OnRamp Access as |
| provide very little cost savings while restricting data | | | | one of their possible T1 line providers. In Canada Shaw |
| rates significantly. | | | | BIG PIPE is a major T1 provider with over a million |
| T1 lines are designed to a North American standard | | | | customers. |
| established in the late 1950s. The T1 standard applies | | | | This is only a small sample of the many regional T1 line |
| to North America, Japan and Korea. Most other parts | | | | providers and did not mention any of the nationwide |
| of the world use E1, a European standard that has a | | | | and global carriers. Any business considering leasing a |
| faster data rate. The two standards are not | | | | T1 should spend some time investigating the providers |
| compatible but a few cross-compliant cards are | | | | in the local area as well as the larger companies. The |
| available. | | | | T1 standards make data throughput pretty much the |
| A few well known T1line providers deliver | | | | same across the many carriers. The guaranteed |
| country-wide (and even multinational) coverage. A | | | | availability, customer service history and available |
| larger number of providers have regional coverage | | | | additional bundled services should be part of the |
| sharing the customer base with the big guys. | | | | decision. The market is very competitive and pricing |
| Competition among these providers keeps pricing | | | | can change quickly. Some websites offer free and |
| volatile. The lowest price provider changes frequently. It | | | | current pricing information to help decision making. |