Wow! A year lead time for a T1 is incredibly long. I call shenanigans and think that the local carriers are playing games. I certainly wouldn't put it past Verizon and AT&T to slow down the process to hamper a competitor. We install T1s all across the country and start kicking and screaming if the install interval passes 60 days. We're normally in the neighborhood of 30-45. The new backhaul will definitely alleviate the issues by cutting the ILECs completely out of the picture and making a more cost effective network. In my experience, the tipping point with T1s is generally 4. Once you need the 5th, it's time to look at other solutions such as fiber or microwave.