T1/DS1 broadband in West Virginia 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 service in West Virginia usually offers 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 compare providers of high-speed Internet in West Virginia:

1. Prices for T1 in West Virginia 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 T1 providers in West Virginia that sell full T1 service

Use dedicated T1 in West Virginia 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 a dedicated T1 carrier in West Virginia that specializes in business packages

Get T1 access in West Virginia 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 packages for dedicated T1 providers in West Virginia

The local provider of T1/DS1 broadband in West Virginia 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: Citynet is in Bridgeport and offers businesses in West Virginia fast connections through dedicated T1. West Virginia is home to WeirNet, which has a range of high-speed commercial class connections available to businesses near Weirton.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A DSL line almost always provides a substantially lower speed than a similarly rated T1 service. Virginia T1/DS1 providers 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.