in the States thats not necessarily the case
a T1 is about 1.54 Mbps (both directions download and upload but most users won't notice the upload speed), there are cable packages that give more than that in their download speeds
the difference is you get it with a bunch of guarrantees and a 99.9% or higher availability and if not then you can ask for refunds
unless he works online and his income depends on the internet connection I can't imagine that the cost of a T1 can be justified
(not to say that I wouldn't have one if I COULD afford it..........)