A European format for digital transmission. E1 supports signals at 2 Mbps (32 channels at 64Kbps, with 2 channels reserved for signaling and controlling), versus the T1, which carries signals at 1.544 Mbps (24 channels at 64Kbps).
Is often met in business practice, during calls to organizations at the moment, when the call is transferred to another number or is set on hold, one hears a music in the telephone dynamics.