T1/DS1 broadband in Maryland 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.

T1 services are usually available in DS0 fractions for private customers wanting access to broadband. T1 Maryland providers will typically use a full T1 line to connect a small business to the Internet and a larger business may need multiple T1 lines bundled together.

There are three primary factors to consider when deciding to use Maryland broadband services:

1. Prices for T1 in Maryland 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 providers of DS1 in Maryland that sell full T1 service

Use dedicated T1 in Maryland 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: Qwest is a Tier 1 provider that offers full T1 lines. You can obtain pricing and availability information on Qwest's website by submitting your telephone number. Comcast offers businesses connection speeds much faster than DSL with downloads up to 16 Mbps and uploads up to 2 Mbps.

Find dedicated T1 providers in Maryland that specialize in business packages

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

I recommend: USA Digital provides fractional and full T1 service to businesses that require reliable and secure connections to the Internet. EarthLink offers a symmetrical T1 business line so you can upload as fast as you download and guarantees 99.99 percent uptime.

Check out local provider packages for Maryland T1 service

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: Online Gateway is a major Internet provider in Maryland and offers full and fractional T1 lines to businesses. Salisbury-based Boo.net has a comprehensive set of Internet solutions for businesses in Maryland.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Maryland T1 service providers will almost always offer substantially faster access than a DSL line of the same rated speed. Providers of T1/DS1 broadband in Maryland 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.
• •  Dedicated T1 in Maryland also is available as a channeled circuit to allow voice traffic on a portion of the channels. These voice channels may be plain T1 or Primary Rate Interface channels. Call centers frequently use PRI lines because they also carry signaling data such as Caller ID and Automatic Number Identification data.