ABSTRACT
T1 is a digital communications system for simultaneously transmitting 24 voice, data, and video signals over the same circuit. The original users of T1 were telephone companies and government agencies. Because each T1 is equivalent to 24 voicegrade circuits, the telephone companies’ savings from using T1 were substantial. At first the cost of T1 to end users was prohibitive; since T1 services were tariffed during the 1980s, however, competition among major carriers has brought the prices down significantly. In addition, at first the need for higher bandwidth and additional services and capabilities increased the demand for T1 circuits such that the waiting time for installation was several months.
