You can also lease a T1 line for a song... literally. Radio stations are now using T1 data lines as digital studio to transmitter links. The traditional STL uses an analog or digital microwave transmitter to carry the audio from the station's studios to the transmitter site located 10 to 30 miles away. Sometimes an equalized pair of analog phone lines do the same job when the studio and transmitter are both downtown. But audio standards are improving and digital is the way to go. Especially when the music originates on CD, perhaps stored on a hard drive, and stays in the digital domain through the mixing board. With HD radio emerging as the digital alternative to standard AM and FM broadcasting, it only make sense to keep everything in the digital domain until it emerges as analog sound pressure waves at the receiver's speaker cone.
So why lease a T1 line as a studio - transmitter link? A point to point dedicated T1 line set up to be exclusive for your use only. You have a steady 1.5 Mbps in each direction. That's 1.5 Mbps to the transmitter and another 1.5 Mbps from the transmitter back to the studio for off-air audio, transmitter readings, or satellite feed. A full stereo audio stream can be carried from studio to transmitter without compression using the Harris Intraplex STL Plus system. Compression can be used as appropriate to squeeze multiple channels on one T1 line.
Unlike consumer grade DSL and Cable Internet services, a dedicated T1 line comes with a SLA or Service Level Agreement to assure a highly reliable circuit, critical for broadcasting and other commercial applications. The timing is so accurate that T1 lines can be used to synchronize multiple transmitters to create an enormous coverage area on a single FM channel.
T1 lines are provisioned on two pair of standard copper phone line or as a DS1 channel on a fiber optic DS3 service where available. You can get T1 lines installed just about anywhere you can get a standard telephone line, including out in the boonies where many transmitter sites are located. Being a wireline service, there is no need for line of site between studio and transmitter. There's also no need to coordinate microwave frequencies or apply for a STL transmitter FCC license. That can save time and aggravation, assuming that open frequencies are even available in your area.
If you are interested in multiple competitive quotes for T1 lines to serve as studio to transmitter links for your radio stations, or simply want to get a T1 lease for a song for your other business applications, visit T1 Rex for complementary quotes and consultations.
