T1/DS1 broadband in Pennsylvania 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. Pennsylvania providers will typically use a full T1 line to connect a small business to the Internet while a larger business may need multiple T1 lines bundled together.

There are three primary factors to consider when choosing a T1 carrier in Pennsylvania:

1. Prices for T1 in Pennsylvania 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 a T1 provider in Pennsylvania that sell full T1 service

Provide high-speed Internet access for a group of employees using one of the Pennsylvania T1 providers. Pennsylvania Internet 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. 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.

Find a dedicated T1 provider in Pennsylvania that specializes in business packages

Get T1 access in Pennsylvania 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. USA Digital provides fractional and full T1 service to businesses that require reliable and secure connections to the Internet.

Check out local packages for dedicated T1 service in Pennsylvania

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: Lansdale-based Becnet offers Internet access to the Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia areas with connections up to T3 access. CityNet is in Pittsburgh and offers full and fractional T1 lines to businesses in the area.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  T1 service in Pennsylvania is almost always substantially faster than a DSL line of the same rated speed. Providers of T1/DS1 broadband in Pennsylvania 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.