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As can be inferred from the answers so far, Tier 1 has at least two differing meanings in the IT industry.
When discussing ISPs or Service Providers (SPs), Tier 1 means one of the major, key players in the global internet backbone. This is not a perfect definition, but you get the idea. A Tier 1 ISP has links directly onto the main peer internet nodes, doesn't buy wholesale bandwidth off other ISPs etc.
In the IT Business or Helpdesk service, Tier 1 is the same as "First Level" support. Usually, support desks have 3 (sometimes more) levels of support. 1st Level is usually the guys who first pick up the phone. They sometimes work from a script or at the start of their career. 2nd Level guys know a lot more and 3rd Level support are generally pretty senior guys with lots of experience and sometimes working in Design or Architecture etc.
Hope this helps explain.
Mr Mephisto
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