T1 Line
A T1 delivers 1.5 Mbps symmetrical, and in most buildings it now costs more per month than an Ethernet circuit delivering many times that. If you are pricing a T1, the first question is whether you should be pricing something else.
What actually sets your T1 rate
Putting your T1 out to bid
- 1Post the requirement once. Address, bandwidth, sites, and the date you need it live. That is enough for carriers to price.
- 2Carriers that reach you bid against each other. They know they are in a competitive bid, which is the single biggest reason a first number comes in lower.
- 3Compare the spread, then counter. Line the offers up on rate, term, install, and SLA. The gap between high and low bid is your negotiating room.
Where the room usually is
✓ Levers worth pushing
On a renewal, month to month rather than a fresh multi-year term while you evaluate replacements. Carriers will discount a legacy circuit to keep it, and that discount is worth having even if you intend to migrate.
● What a padded quote looks like
A new three year T1 term quoted without mention of the Ethernet service available in the same building, and a loop charge presented as fixed when it is the most variable component in the price.
T1 Line pricing, straight answers
What does a T1 line cost?
Less than it once did, but often more than faster alternatives at the same address. Cost is driven by the local loop, distance from the serving office, and term.
Should I still buy a T1?
Rarely for internet access, where Ethernet and fixed wireless usually win on both price and speed. T1 still has a place where it is the only facility available or where existing equipment depends on it.
How do I get out of a T1 contract?
Time the exit to the term end and start pricing replacements well before it. Bringing a competing quote to a renewal conversation is what turns a rollover into a negotiation.