Do You Need a T1 for VoIP? And What Exactly is a T1 Anyway?
Posted on Sun, Oct 16, 2011 @ 01:04 PM
This is probably one of the most misunderstood topics on the planet, even within the communications industry. It's important because companies end up not knowing what they have, not knowing what they need (or if they need something else), and losing sight of the ROI benefits of VoIP because they get tied up in the technology instead. Don't get tied up in the technology! Let's put this into lay person terms, keep it brief, and make it relevant. Here's what you need to know.
1. A T1 is a communications line that can carry either your telephone calls, your internet, or possibly both. A voice T1 or PRI is for your telephone calls. A T1 for your internet is called an internet T1, data T1, or just T1.
2. A voice T1 has 24 "channels" that can be used for 24 simultaneous phone calls. A phone call is counted as either one incoming call or one outgoing call but the total can't exceed 24. The cost of a voice T1 can vary wildly form market to market and carrier to carrier. Importantly, your business DOES NOT NEED a voice T1 (or phone lines) if you have a VoIP system because your calls then travel over an internet connection. Yes, this is first level of cost savings available . . . and there's more!
3. An internet T1 brings internet to your office. When business people say their office has a T1, this is generally the T1 they are referring to. So what is the speed of an internet T1? 1.54 megabits of data per second (or mbps). And whether your T1 runs over copper, fiber, cable, Cat 5, Cat 6 or whatever has no impact on anything else - you're still getting 1.54 megabits per second. So don't buy the hype!
So the next question is then how much bandwidth do you need?
To learn more about T1s and how they work with VoIP phones and service, bandwidth needs, and SIP (which is REALLY advanced VoIP and can dramatically improve your organization's day-to-day operations), contact the business communications experts at Atris (www.Atris.biz) or schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation today:
