T1 Internet Speed - - The fuss about Symmetry

Internet Speed

Most of the people we speak with regarding T1 lines have questions like :

• I seem to be able to upload data quite easily and quickly on my existing connection… so what’s with full symmetry of T1, and why would I need it?
• I make and receive calls on Skype and I don’t have too much of a problem…so why do I need T1 Speed even if I have 10 guys calling at the same time? Won’t two or three DSL connections be better?
• Isn’t upload speed the same as the download speed?

For starters, Upload or Upstream is not the same as download or downstream traffic. And more importantly, what ISPs advertise when they promote the different packages they offer, is the high bandwidth download speed and not the bandlimited upload speed.

The real fuss of upload speeds

For a moment, let us assume that you have a constant download speed of 6 Mbps. If you are downloading a 20 MB file from a server that has an upstream pipe of 10 Mbps, you can utilize your entire download bandwidth and download the file in approximately

20MB x 8 (bits to the byte)/ 6 = 26 seconds

Now reduce the upload speed of the server to 1 Mbps, and you’ll find your download takes 10 times as much. Why? Because your download speed is dependent on the server’s upload speed unless the upload speed of the server is greater than your download speed, you could be on a 2000 Mbps internet connection, and still take the same 260 seconds to download as would a user with a 1 Mbps connection.

When you are a home user or a small business user with less than 10 people accessing the internet for activities that include uploading of files or using VoIP, your upload speed doesn’t necessarily come under the radar and T1 speed doesn’t normally figure in discussions about internet connectivity. Same goes for businesses that use the Internet merely for email or perhaps research. However, if you have

• A server that people access via the internet
• A calling system like a toll-free line, or a customer support desk
• A requirement to upload files to remote servers or other locations accessed via the internet

You will need the significantly higher T1 speed to remove the risk of your business suffering on account of service availability.

Normally, internet connections are measured on the download speeds and except business and gaming users, no one really measures or bothers their upstream speeds or upgrades to T1 speeds. Most ADSL connections can give you a download speed of up to 6 Mbps, while limiting your upstream transfer rate to a paltry 640 Kbps as opposed to the T1 speed of 1.54 Mbps. Though conspiracy theorists might suggest that the media industry is lobbying to keep the upstream capabilities of home users to the bare minimum so users can download quickly but are effectively incapacitated to share the media via peer-to-peer networks, but we believe it is more of a cost saving mechanism than anything else. The simple explanation being that if T1 speed uploads were made available on DSL, the more serious gamers who can afford to pay for fractional T1 lines wouldn’t be encouraged to upgrade to T1 speed to meet their gaming requirements. The business user however needs to keep a close tab on how fast he/she can upload, since it, in most cases is the fundamental requirement of the business itself.

If you want host a server that’s readily available, make multiple simultaneous calls using VoIP, regularly meet your prospects or clients over videoconferencing platforms to reduce travel costs, you would definitely need T1 speed to ensure your voice, images and data reach the other end in real-time. This is how a T1 internet connection could make your business, and how a DSL choice be penny wise and pound foolish.