Verizon Maryland Inc.



EXHIBIT 12



COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES



|                                                                                    |  |                          |       |      |   |       |      |  |      |       |      |   |       |  |   |       |  
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |  | ------------------------ | ----- | ---- | - | ----- | ---- |  | ---- | ----- | ---- | - | ----- |  | - | ----- | -
|                                                                                    |  | Years Ended December 31, |      
|                                                                                    |  | 2003                     |       | 2002 |   |       | 2001 |  | 2000 |       | 1999 |  
|                                                                                    |  | (Dollars in Millions)    |      
|Income before provision for income taxes and cumulative effect of accounting change |  | $                        | 209.0 |      | $ | 446.5 | (a)  |  | $    | 525.7 |      | $ | 616.0 |  | $ | 628.3 |  
|Equity loss (income) from affiliate                                                 |  |                          |      |      |   | 18.2  |      |  |      | 91.8  |      |   | 2.5   |  |   | (.5   | )
|Dividends received from equity affiliate                                            |  |                          | .2    |      |   |      |      |  |      | .4    |      |   | .6    |  |   | .5    |  
|Interest expense                                                                    |  |                          | 77.4  |      |   | 78.1  |      |  |      | 81.4  |      |   | 82.8  |  |   | 70.6  |  
|Portion of rent expense representing interest                                       |  |                          | 40.1  |      |   | 35.4  |      |  |      | 28.6  |      |   | 13.1  |  |   | 12.8  |  
|Amortization of capitalized interest                                                |  |                          | 3.8   |      |   | 3.6   |      |  |      | 3.0   |      |   | 2.6   |  |   | 2.1   |  
|                                                                                    |  |                          |       |      |   |       |      |  |      |       |      |   |       |  |   |       |  
|Earnings, as adjusted                                                               |  | $                        | 330.5 |      | $ | 581.8 |      |  | $    | 730.9 |      | $ | 717.6 |  | $ | 713.8 |  
|                                                                                    |  |                          |       |      |   |       |      |  |      |       |      |   |       |  |   |       |  
|Fixed charges:                                                                      |  |                          |       |      |   |       |      |  |      |       |      |   |       |  |   |       |  
|Interest expense                                                                    |  | $                        | 77.4  |      | $ | 78.1  |      |  | $    | 81.4  |      | $ | 82.8  |  | $ | 70.6  |  
|Portion of rent expense representing interest                                       |  |                          | 40.1  |      |   | 35.4  |      |  |      | 28.6  |      |   | 13.1  |  |   | 12.8  |  
|Capitalized interest                                                                |  |                          | 3.0   |      |   | 4.6   |      |  |      | 8.7   |      |   | 9.1   |  |   | 4.3   |  
|                                                                                    |  |                          |       |      |   |       |      |  |      |       |      |   |       |  |   |       |  
|Fixed Charges                                                                       |  | $                        | 120.5 |      | $ | 118.1 |      |  | $    | 118.7 |      | $ | 105.0 |  | $ | 87.7  |  
|                                                                                    |  |                          |       |      |   |       |      |  |      |       |      |   |       |  |   |       |  
|Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges                                                  |  |                          | 2.74  |      |   | 4.93  |      |  |      | 6.16  |      |   | 6.83  |  |   | 8.14  |  
|                                                                                    |  |                          |       |      |   |       |      |  |      |       |      |   |       |  |   |       |  

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|(a) | Restated in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 145, Rescission of FASB Statements No. 4, 44, and 64, Amendment of FASB Statement No. 13, and
Technical Corrections.
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