T1/DS1 broadband in Maine uses two pairs of copper wire for transmission over telephone lines. An ordinary telephone line uses the DS0 transmission protocol, which carries 64 Kbit per second. A T1 line uses the DS1 protocol to combine the equivalent of 24 telephone lines for a total bandwidth of 1.536 Mbit per second.

Providers of T1 broadband in Maine usually offer T1 lines to private customers in DS0 fractions. However, a small business will typically use a full T1 line to connect to the Internet and a larger business may use multiple T1 lines bundled together.

There are three primary factors to consider when you select a T1 carrier in Maine:

1. Prices for T1 in Maine vary in part according to your distance from the carrier’s Point of Presence. The further you are from the carrier’s POP, the more your T1/DS1 line will cost.

2. Major carriers usually own and operate their own networks, generally resulting in the best actual transmission speeds.

3. A channel bank is necessary to separate the DS1 data stream back into the 24 DS0 data packets. This device is relatively expensive to purchase or lease and represents a substantial investment for a small business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate Maine T1 Internet providers that sell full T1 service

Use dedicated T1 in Maine to provide high-speed Internet access for a group of employees. These services frequently include multiple static IP addresses and email addresses under your domain name.

I recommend: Corecomm offers dedicated T1 service for businesses of all sizes and guarantees uptime of 99.5 percent. Intercom provides businesses across the country with full and bonded lines.

Find a dedicated T1 carrier in Maine that specializes in business packages

Get T1 access in Maine from a provider that can meet your needs now and scale your requirements as your business grows.

I recommend: Verizon has a small business package specifically designed for 20 or fewer employees. AT&T offers single and bundled T1 service to its OC-48 and OC-192 backbone and uptime of 99.95 percent.

Check out local packages for dedicated T1 service in Maine

The local provider connects your business to the carrier's POP. This connection is known as the local loop and represents a substantial component of a T1 line's cost.

I recommend: Oxford Networks is in Lewiston and offers connection speeds up to 155 Mbps to businesses. Mid-Maine Communications in Portland provides T1 connections to businesses of all sizes throughout Maine.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A T1 carrier in Maine will almost always offer substantially faster access than a DSL line of the same rated speed. Providers of T1/DS1 broadband in Maine rarely oversubscribe their services, meaning that these customers will have access to the full transmission rate of 1.544 Mbps. By contrast, the oversubscription rates for DSL lines routinely exceed 4:1.