T1/DS1 broadband in Alabama uses two pairs of copper wire for transmission over telephone lines. An ordinary telephone line uses the DS0 transmission protocol, which carries 64 Kbit per second. A T1 line uses the DS1 protocol to combine the equivalent of 24 telephone lines for a total bandwidth of 1.536 Mbit per second.

T1 broadband in Alabama is usually available to private customers in DS0 fractions. However, a small business will typically use a full T1 line to connect to the Internet and a larger business may use multiple T1 lines bundled together.

There are three primary factors to consider when deciding to use T1/DS1 broadband in Alabama:

1. Prices for T1 in Alabama vary in part according to your distance from the carrier’s Point of Presence. The further you are from the carrier’s POP, the more your T1/DS1 line will cost.

2. Major carriers usually own and operate their own networks, generally resulting in the best actual transmission speeds.

3. A channel bank is necessary to separate the DS1 data stream back into the 24 DS0 data packets. This device is relatively expensive to purchase or lease and represents a substantial investment for a small business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate Alabama T1 providers that sell full T1 service

Use dedicated T1 in Alabama to provide your employees access to a T1 Internet. Alabama providers frequently include multiple static IP addresses and email addresses under your domain name.

I recommend: Speakeasy offers T1 service throughout the country. You can check for service availability on Speakeasy's website by providing your location information. Comcast offers businesses connection speeds much faster than DSL with downloads up to 16 Mbps and uploads up to 2 Mbps.

Find Alabama T1 providers that specialize in business packages

Get T1 access in Alabama from a provider that can meet your needs now and scale your requirements as your business grows.

I recommend: Cogent Communications offers dedicated T1 and T3 service to its Tier 1 backbone for businesses in more than 100 markets. AT&T offers single and bundled T1 service to its OC-48 and OC-192 backbone and uptime of 99.95 percent.

Check out local provider packages for Alabama T1 service

The local provider connects your business to the carrier's POP. This connection is known as the local loop and represents a substantial component of a T1 line's cost.

I recommend: InLine is in Birmingham and provides business class Internet connectivity with a variety of technologies, including T1 lines. Magnolia Belle Data Systems has a location in Brewton and provides businesses in the surrounding areas with up to T3 connections.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A T1 carrier in Alabama will almost always offer substantially faster access than a DSL line of the same rated speed. T1/DS1 providers rarely oversubscribe their services, meaning that these customers will have access to the full transmission rate of 1.544 Mbps. By contrast, the oversubscription rates for DSL lines routinely exceed 4:1.
• •  A T1 line in Alabama also is available as a channeled circuit to allow voice traffic on a portion of the channels. These voice channels may be plain T1 or Primary Rate Interface channels. Call centers frequently use PRI lines because they also carry signaling data such as Caller ID and Automatic Number Identification data.