What is T1 Internet?

Say the word "T1" to any veteran of the Internet and expect a reaction. Once the holy grail of connections due to pioneering speeds in excess of 1 megabit per second, T1 lines were thought of as unattainable icons and synonymous with "awesome," explaining their hallowed status. To this day, the technology remains a workhorse solution that exemplifies the popular hope for ever-increasing speeds.

History

T1 connections began in the late 1960s at Bell Labs. Designed to deliver reliable, fast connections for large scale corporate communications, T1 technology, or simply Digital Signal 1 (DS1), revolves around a 100 percent digital, full-duplex connection that guarantees 1.5 megabits per second. Back in the 1960s, this was phenomenally fast.

Significance

T1 offers all-digital connections capable of consistent speeds with almost no "noise" or fluctuation, relying on expensive gear that individuals typically can't afford. This has rendered T1 into a legend among early Internet users, over the years garnering it quite the reputation. Modern DSL, cable and wireless broadband solutions can easily surpass T1 speeds, but can't hope to match its sturdy disposition.

Function

As a result of the durability T1 networks have displayed for over 40 years, they continue to be popular among utilities. Phone companies and ISP's count on T1's in the upkeep of their traffic backbone, often using them to connect main servers to the Internet core.

Misconceptions

As mentioned earlier, T1's do not constitute some kind of magical solution to your online speed woes. They most likely fall short of the connection speeds you're getting with your ADSL/DSL or cable provider, at least theoretically.

The catch comes from consistency--while other technologies work faster on paper, in the real world their averages drop quickly. The opposite for T1--it may be seemingly slower, but just keeps going and going.

Identification

The "T" in T1 hails from Bell Labs' identification of the technology as part of their broader T-carrier line of connection types. Subsequent T's increased available speeds, always coming years ahead of more budget-minded, mainstream technologies.

For example, T3's rate at almost 45 megabits per second, which as of mid-2009 remained unheard of in the private sector.

Fun Fact

It's all in the multiplex--and we don't mean the one with the movies. T1 connections were among the first to offer true multiplexing of signals, meaning several signals appear to be transmitted at the same time. This increases data transference beyond the apparent physical speed limits of a given connection.