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What is DSL.....

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): is a service that offers a faster Internet connection than a standard dial-up connection. DSL technology uses existing 2-wire copper telephone wiring to deliver high-speed data services to homes and businesses. (See diagram below) DSL uses the existing phone line and in most cases does not require an additional phone line. This gives "always-on" Internet access and does not tie up the phone line. No more busy signals, no more dropped connections, no more waiting for someone in the household to get off the phone. DSL offers users a choice of speeds ranging from 144 Kbps to 1.5Mbps. This is 2.5 xs to 25x times faster than a standard 56Kbps dial-up modem.

This digital service can be used to deliver bandwidth-intensive applications like streaming audio/video, online games, application programs, telephone calling, video conferencing and other high-bandwidth services.

Today DSL is for the first time putting high-speed Internet access within the reach of the home, small and medium-size businesses. DSL takes existing voice cables that connect customer premises to the phone company's central office (CO) and turns them into a high-speed digital link.

There are many types of DSL. We offer the following type:
ADSL
The variation called ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is the form of DSL that will become most familiar to home and small business users. ADSL is called "asymmetric" because most of its two-way or duplex bandwidth is devoted to the downstream direction, sending data to the user. Only a small portion of bandwidth is available for upstream or user-interaction messages. However, most Internet and especially graphics- or multi-media intensive Web data need lots of downstream bandwidth, but user requests and responses are small and require little upstream bandwidth. Using ADSL, up to 6.1 megabits per second of data can be sent downstream and up to 640 Kbps upstream. The high downstream bandwidth means that your telephone line will be able to bring motion video, audio, and 3-D images to your computer or hooked-in TV set. In addition, a small portion of the downstream bandwidth can be devoted to voice rather than data, and you can hold phone conversations without requiring a separate line.

Unlike a similar service over your cable TV line, using ADSL, you won't be competing for bandwidth with neighbors in your area. In many cases, your existing telephone lines will work with ADSL. In some areas, they may need upgrading.

Over any given line, the maximum DSL speed is determined by the distance between the customer site and the Central Office (CO) or remote hub. At the customer premises, a DSL router or modem connects the DSL line to a local-area network (LAN) or an individual computer. Once installed, the DSL router provides the customer site with continuous connection to the Internet and use of the telephone at the same time.

DSL Benefits

  • Always-On Service
  • Phone/Internet Simultaneously
  • Up to 25x Times Faster Than Dial-up Modem
  • Cost Effective
  • No More Busy Signals
  • No More Dropped Connections
  • Faster Downloads
  • Faster Games
  • Multiple Computers on Single DSL Line
  • Dedicated Connection & Speed


Frequently Asked Questions

 For more information...
Call Highland Telephone Cooperative, Monterey: 540-468-2131



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What is DSL?
DSL, which stands for Digital Subscriber Line, is a broadband communication technology designed for use on regular phone lines. It has the ability to move data over the phone lines at speeds up to 140 times speedier than the fastest analog modems available today.




What are the benefits?
In addition to their very high speed, DSL modems have many benefits over analog modems. Unlike the dial-up connections required for analog modems, your DSL connection is always on. That means no more logging on and off, no more busy signals and no more waiting for the connection to happen - it's always there. Another benefit is the ability to use the phone at the same time the data connection is on; you don't have to choose between the two.




How fast is it?
Our DSL service can download data up to 768 Kilobits per second and upload data up to 128 kilobits per second. This speed is more than 25 times faster than a 56.6 Kbps modem.  In order to receive the highest speed DSL, you should live within a 3-mile radius of our central office or remote hub.  As you travel outside that 3-mile radius, the DSL speed decreases.




How can it be so much faster than a modem when it uses the same phone line?
Analog modems send their signals through the public switched telephone network, the same one that connects ordinary telephones. DSL modems "piggyback" their signals on top of the voice signal. On the phone company's premises, the line gets split - the voice calls are sent to the public switched telephone network, and the data transmission goes to the Internet. This method moves data off the phone companies' lines and instead uses connections optimized for carrying Internet traffic.




Will it constantly connect near the maximum speed, or will it be like my 56K modem that almost never connects at 56K?
At DSL speeds, the limitations are much more the performance of the Internet server you're trying to reach and the amount of traffic on the Internet. The Internet is a loosely coupled network of computers that are transmitting data by different methods through different computers at different speeds, so the speed you receive data with a DSL modem is limited by these factors.




How does it work?
DSL works by splitting the phone line into two frequency ranges. The frequencies below 4 kHz are reserved for voice, and the range above that is used for data. This makes it possible to use the line for phone calls and data network access at the same time. It is called "asymmetric" because more bandwidth is reserved for receiving data than for sending data. Download speeds range from 256 Kilobits per second up to 8 Megabits per second, and upload speeds range from 16 to 640 Kilobits per second. This is useful because many users of the Internet receive much more data than they send.




How will DSL affect my regular phone calls?
DSL will not interfere with your phone calls and vice-versa.  You can enjoy the pleasure of having only one phone line and talking and using the Internet at the same time.  All you will need to add to your phone is a simple filter between your phone and the wall jack.  Even your call waiting will work with DSL service.



Last Updated: 9/23/2003