Broadband ISPs
GUIDE

T1 (Leased Line) and T3 Connections

Description: As far as broadband internet connections go, T1 and T3 connections are the cream of the crop. Read on to find out more, and to decide whether you are in a situation that really requires them.

You may have heard of the terms T1 and T3, but they have nothing to do with the Terminator movies. Instead they are the premium way to receive broadband high speed internet access via a dedicated line that you won't be sharing with anyone else, and as such they are intended more for business use than anything else.

When you look at the level of service that a T1 connection brings, you will see why it is limited mainly to businesses. That is not to say that individuals can't use a T1 line, but the cost is what prohibits most people from getting one - that and the fact that in reality it isn't necessary for personal purposes. If you run a business from home which relies on an internet connection for you to be able to make money, then you will be better off forking out the cash required to get a T1 connection.

In essence, what you will get is a line from your location to the company which is providing you with access, which you alone will be using to get online. You will lease this line on a monthly basis, and pay a premium amount for the privilege. What you will get with a T1 service however is more in the way of back up; you can usually expect the line to be monitored on a daily basis to check that it's working as it should be, and you are also guaranteed that in the rare event of any problems occurring they will be solved in record time. In short then, you are paying for much more than just a connection to the internet.

So what about a T3 connection? What is the difference between T1 and T3 as far as getting online is concerned?

If a T1 connection is far superior to the standard cable or DSL connection that the average household uses, then the T3 connection leave the T1 option trailing in the dust.

This is for the large business user - the company which has lots of employees and needs to make sure that every one of them accessing the internet at the same time doesn't clog up the connection and slow it down as a result.

What you get with a T3 connection is a faster speed and much more in the way of bandwidth to accommodate everyone getting online at once. This is the top level option reserved for the biggest companies, and is naturally the most expensive one of the lot. As with the T1 connection however you will get a service which respects the fact that you are running a business and cannot afford to have any downtime, as even an hour offline can mean thousands in lost business and dissatisfied customers for you.