What is a Trunk?

A trunk, also known as a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunk, is a high capacity communications line that delivers voice calls and data from a client location to the internet. Trunks have been around for decades and are used worldwide. Trunks often connect switching stations with other switching stations or PBXs to switching stations in a point-to-point, dedicated connection.

SIP trunks have 24 channels, each of which can transmit voice or digital data at a rate of 64 Kbps, for a combined rate of 1.544 Mbps. Depending on the configuration, the 24 channels can each support a phone call at the same time. The T1 trunk can also be configured so that some of the channels support voice and some support data, or all 24 channels can be dedicated to data. Compare this to a single, traditional analog line that can only handle one call at time and it's easy to see why T1 trunks are a better solution for businesses.

Use of trunks is on the decline due to the introduction of faster, cheaper connectivity options. However, they remain one of the most reliable forms of connectivity.


How NICE is Redefining Customer Experience

NICE CXone is the industry’s only interaction-centric platform where channels, data, applications, and knowledge converge to improve customer experience at scale.

It is the leading, most complete and unified CX Platform on the market, used by thousands of organizations of all sizes around the world to help them consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences. CXone is a cloud native, unified suite of applications designed to help you holistically run your call (or contact) center operations.


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