Telecommunications infrastructure and advanced networking capabilities are critical in today's increasingly competitive marketplace, and Maryland 's telecommunications development is second to none. Maryland is at the heart of the telecommunications revolution, offering a state-of-the-art infrastructure and a competitive choice of providers.

The largest provider in the state, Verizon Maryland, serves almost four million access lines with a network valued at $5.5 billion. Verizon's "Intelligent Network" is among the most advanced in the country. More than 95 percent of access lines are served by digital technology and switching offices are diversely linked by fiber-optic facilities. Verizon's coverage in the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan areas includes self-healing synchronous optical network (SONET) ring technology to ensure integrity of communications.

Other carriers maintain fiber, Points of Presence (POP), and switch infrastructure in Maryland,  including MCI, AT&T, e.spire, cable carriers, and wireless providers. Co-carriers are available in select areas of the state offering the latest in fiber, wireless, and digital service. For Maryland's businesses, such competition among vendors generates better quality service, healthy infrastructure growth, increased diversity routing options, faster rollout of new services and technologies, as well as price competition.

The Maryland telecommunications advantage includes:

• 254 digital switches and more than 340,000 fiber miles in the Verizon network;
• Innovative distance learning, telemedicine, videoconferencing, and Internet applications being used by Maryland businesses and institutions;
• Customer contact - Maryland is home to a number of Fortune 500 call centers which rely on the state's qualified workforce and easy access to job locations.

Available services include:

• High Volume Telecommunications Services & Technologies
• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
• Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
• Cable modem service
• Video teleconferencing
• T1, DS-1, DS-3, and ISDN services
• Switched Multi-Megabit Services (SMDS)
• Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
• Wireless and PCS service
• Frame Relay technology
• Digital Video Service
• Common Channel Signaling (SS7)
• Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)
• Point to Point (PtP)

Rural Communities

A major fiber installation program now underway will extend fiber trunk lines into Western Maryland along I-68. The project will bring high capacity digital services to universities, businesses, and communities along this growing corridor.

A major infrastructure project announced in March 2000, America's Fiber Network, combines eight telecommunications providers—including Maryland-based Allegheny Communications Connect—in connecting major markets with less served markets in the region. The project calls for 200,000 fiber miles to be linked. For more information, please visit networkMaryland.