AT&T® Fractional DS1 Service
If you have enough data traffic for high-capacity lines but not enough to justify the expense of AT&T® DS1 lines, AT&T® Fractional DS1 Service may be for you. Fractional DS1 operates at 128, 256, or 384 kilobits per second (Kbps), and gives you all of the advantages of AT&T's private-line network—including digital reliability and security. But Fractional DS1 Service can give you a cost savings compared with the price of higher-bandwidth service.
Fractional DS1 Service gives you the bandwidth you need for sophisticated applications such as video conferencing, LAN interconnection, imaging, and multimedia transmission. Fractional DS1 Service is ideal for connecting remote sites that share data but don't transmit large amounts of data to central points.
If your data travels long distances, here's why Fractional DS1 Service is your transmission solution: It provides 128, 256, or 384 Kbps of clear channel bandwidth in a DS1 envelope. This means that your interstate or international data transmissions can be carried by the long distance carrier of your choice at fractional DS1 speeds, ensuring smooth handoffs.
As your needs grow, Fractional DS1 Service lets you migrate seamlessly to AT&T's higher-speed services such as AT&T® DS1 and DS3 Services. It also integrates with the lower-speed AT&T® Base Rate Service, letting you scale your facilities according to the needs of your individual application.
You get...
Affordability—Fractional DS1 Service can save you up to 30% compared to full DS1 Service, it lets you upgrade easily to AT&T's higher-speed digital services as your needs change.
Wide Applications—Fractional DS1 Service has the capabilities for complex, high-bandwidth applications like printing and publishing, CAD/CAM, video conferencing, and banking.
Security—Fractional DS1 Service maximizes security by containing your data traffic on your organization's own dedicated private line.
Performance—Fractional DS1 Service keeps your data flowing without costly disruptions, thanks to the AT&T performance objective of 99.995% error-free seconds.
Reconfiguration—As an option with Fractional DS1 Service, AT&T Network Reconfiguration Service gives you complete control over your network by letting you reroute traffic as needed.
Productivity—Fractional DS1 Service lets you take advantage of high-technology applications, like video conferencing, that increase productivity and cut expenses.
Flexibility—Fractional DS1 Service lets you use your existing standard DS1 interface equipment.
It's good for...
LAN interconnection
Team engineering and design
Concurrent computer-aided design and manufacturing
Video conferencing
Publishing and document imaging
Medical Imaging
Automatic teller machine networks
How It Works
In AT&T's Network
AT&T® Fractional DS1 Service uses dedicated private lines between sites that you designate. The service uses end-to-end digital facilities, which are inherently more reliable than analog. Why? An analog system converts your data, which is digital, to analog format, then amplifies the signal for transmission—also amplifying noise the signal encounters, increasing the chance for error. A digital system accepts your digital data without conversion, simply regenerating the original signal as it moves through the network. AT&T's digital network uses timing controls to ensure that signals conform to international standards, so your data can flow seamlessly to other carriers worldwide.
At Your Premises
Any piece of equipment linked to a Fractional DS1 Service facility must connect using a standard DS1-compatible channel/digital service unit (CSU/DSU) or CSU/DSU-capable device. Fractional DS1 Service is not a very cost-effective offering for intraLATA connectivity because it is priced at only 10% below the cost of full DS1 Service (1.544 Mbps) but delivers much less bandwidth (128, ValueComm' 256, or 384 Kbps). If you require a dedicated digital recommendation line and Base Rate Service does not have sufficient bandwidth for your needs, then DS1 Service is the best solution for you. On the other hand, Fractional DS1 Service does offer financial benefits for interLATA connectivity due to the costs imposed by interexchange carriers for full T-1 service.