What is a T3?



A T3 is a broad sized digital circuit with high-speed connectivity. The T3 is capable of transmitting data at a speed of 43.232 Mbps (megabits per second). A T3 is equivalent to 28 T1s. Each T1 has 24 channels so therefore a T3 is equal to about 672 regular telephone lines.

A T3 is designed for large to extra-large applications; such as big businesses and campus environments like hospitals and universities.

A T3 is a group of dedicated T1 circuits that are typically run on fiber instead of copper cables. T3s are orchestrated specifically for your site and therefore are thoroughly examined before installation. The T3s are brought into your telephone room on smart jacks.

You can then extend the circuits directly into your telephone system or through a CSU (customer service unit). The CSU is recommended, as it becomes a test point and loopback point, which can be helpful if there is a problem with one of the circuits.

How does a T3 work?

A T3 is able to have about 672 simultaneous voice connections. This can be a combination of both inbound and outbound phone calls. One benefit of the T3 is that you are able to port you main business phone number to the T3 so that you can accept an almost limitless number of incoming calls. This works especially well when used with a front-end voice mail or auto-attendant product.

A T3 voice can also support DID service (direct inward dial) which allows you to assign each telephone user with a specific unique number that can be dialed directly from the outside. The DID numbers act akin to private lines. The outside callers can dial a user's phone number and ring directly at their desk.

Each T1 circuit uses two pair of wires, which saves an large amount of space in the phone closet when compared with the same amount of service using typical copper trunks. The T3 circuit is very reliable. These circuits are constantly monitored at the central office (telephone company).

If there is a failure it can often be resolved remotely. Because the T3 has so many circuits if there is a problem with one of the T1s the voice traffic can be seamlessly routed over the other circuits until the problem is fixed.

Can we save money with a T3?

Your business can save revenue with a T3. Although a T3 is rather pricey it is still going to be less expensive for you in the long run than an equal amount of copper trunks.

To find out your likely savings you will need to know what you spend today for an equal amount of phone lines. Consider the installation costs of the T3, which can be sizable. However, the prices of T1s and T3s have come down instead of up in recent years. In addition to the initial installation one-time fees, you will need to know the monthly charges for usage.

All this considered, you should begin to see a substantial savings during the first year with even more significant savings as time goes on. Not only does the T3 provide high quality reliable voice service it helps to present a professional appearance for your company. The T3 is a serious commitment yet if your needs warrant it this is definitely the way to go.