What’s a trunk line?

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A trunk is a high-speed connection via a telephone line routed through a central office on a telephone network. Nowadays, trunk lines are fiber optic lines capable of carrying both voice and data. They allow for simultaneous transmission of all types of data without interruptions, making them ideal for teleconferencing and manufacturing companies. The term “trunk” is widely used to refer to any type of telephone line used for home or business purposes.

In the telecommunications world, a trunk is a term used to refer to a high-speed connection via a telephone line routed through a central office on a telephone network. In common usage, a trunk or line is often used to refer to telephone lines that are routed through a telephone carrier network and provide voice and data transfer between two parties. It is important to note that a trunk line today is a fiber optic line capable of carrying both voice and data, rather than the older copper lines which were only capable of carrying sound or voice.

Mainline use of fiber optics has steadily increased worldwide since the 1980s and is notable for its ability to carry significantly more data than older copper lines. Thanks to this type of technology, it is possible to use a single line for residential voice telephony, Internet access and, in some cases, television programming. While the actual transmission rate of voice communications is no higher than that of copper lines, this approach has the advantage of carrying a more sensitive transmission that allows you to hear and be heard more clearly and helps eliminate some of the audio problems that used to be common with older copper wire systems.

While voice communications are carried out at the same speed, the advantage of a telephone CO line is that all types of data can be transmitted simultaneously without experiencing dropouts or interruptions in transmissions. This is especially important for companies that rely on the use of the Internet to stay in touch with customers, conduct presentations and workshops, and hold investor meetings that include voice and data conferencing as part of the platform. Manufacturing companies also benefit from the main line, as a video conferencing feed can be used to allow a remote technician to diagnose a problem with equipment in the manufacturing floor and train plant personnel on how to correct the situation. In the past this type of activity would have meant sending the technician flying, wasting valuable travel time.

While a trunk line usually refers to actual fiber optic lines that are routed through a public switched telephone network or PSTN, the term is widely used today to refer to any type of telephone line used for home or business purposes. In the world of teleconferencing, it’s not uncommon to refer to each of the phone lines that terminate at a teleconferencing bridge as trunks or trunks. Similarly, many businesses refer to lines terminating on a server or office PBX as trunks, indicating the number of lines available to make incoming calls or receive incoming calls at the same time.




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