What are Fractional-T1 lines?
The demand for Internet connectivity in today’s business environment has never been higher. Reliable and economical connectivity can often mean the difference between success and failure for many businesses. Most companies lease what is commonly known as a “T-1 line”. A T-1 line is typically a point to point constant connection between a location and an ISP. The line itself consists of 24 channels, each capable of transferring data at 64 kilobits a second. Total transmission speeds are typically 1.54 megabits per second when the entire T-1 is utilized.
Often the prospect of leasing an entire T-1 from the local ISP can be a daunting and expensive process. At times, even a dedicated 1.54 megabit connection may be too much for a small to medium size business. When faced with the choice between cost and speed, another option exists in fractional T-1 lines.
How Can Your Business Benefit from a Fractional T1?
A Fractional T-1 takes a number of the 24 channels and only uses a part of the total, hence the term “fractional”. For example, each 2 channels can transmit data at 128 kilobits per second. This gives a user a reliable, always available high speed connection at a substantially lower cost. If greater speed is required, the customer can select incrementally higher number of channels to provide data service. Often a savvy business will elect for 6 to 12 channels and receive a high data transmission rate at half the cost of a full T-1. The data transmission options will there be; 256, 386, 512 or 768 kbps respectively.
Consider the following advantages of a fractional T-1 lines.
- Often available in areas where DSL is not.
- Upgrade number of channels when needed or downgrade when not.
- Circuits run from your location to a Central Office then straight to Internet.
- Unlike DSL and Cable Modems, there is no aggregation.
Choosing the right options can be a daunting task. Osstelco has the proficiency and knowledge in this area to provide the most reliable, and cost-effective solution. Whether your business has 10 employees or 10,000; the choice of selecting a method to meet the every growing demands of bandwidth is easier with an expert at your side.
