Many cable services now provide both homes and businesses with high-speed Internet access at relatively low rates. Previously, T1 was the only practical option for the small business, but with the increasing availability of cable service, these companies often have a difficult choice to make. When comparing the rates of T1 to cable, it is easy to see why so many businesses choose cable.
The Advantages of a T1 Connection
There is more to judging a high-speed Internet connection, however, than rates alone. In fact, T1 Internet service provides certain advantages that a shared cable connection simply cannot. The most important of these advantages is reliability and repair timeframes.
T1 is a Guaranteed Service
Perhaps the most important difference between T1 and cable, and a chief reason why cable can be much cheaper, is that cable Internet is a best-effort service. A best-effort service promises only a minimal level of service, which can often include significant downtime, and anything above or beyond that mark is simply a bonus, not to be expected or relied upon.
Reliability
In fact, most business-class broadband services experience multiple service outages each month. The issue is often worse in congested urban areas and sparse rural areas. Downtime throughout the month may be an insignificant issue for a residential user, but for a business, each minute offline can result in significant loss of revenue, especially if the business makes its sales online.
Repair Timeframes
With T1 service, the client enjoys unshared, guaranteed service. In other words, the provider is committed to maintaining that service at peak operation. If a cable connection fails, the service provider prioritizes your needs based on the needs of the entire customer based experiencing loss of service. With a T1 connection, the business is a priority and has the promise of specific timeframes for repair.
Conclusion
A T1 connection is more expensive than business-class Internet access, but that additional cost buys a wide array of features that are beneficial to all businesses. The performance of a T1 line is measured, and if it falls below the guarantee in the service level agreement, the provider compensates the client. In addition, T1 networks are built with redundancies in place that allow for 99.999 percent uptime.