DSL Service

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a high speed dedicated digital circuit from a given location to the telephone company's central office, using normal copper telephone lines. DSL provides a separate channel for voice and fax, which means that phone calls and faxes can be carried at the same time high speed data is flowing across the line. DSL is a general term that includes several variations: ADSL, HDSL, SDSL, VDSL and RDSL. Visit our glossary for more information about these terms.

When you connect to the Internet using a DSL modem, the speeds that you will experience will vary based on a variety of factors, including the following:
• Distance of your telephone line from the ISP Central Office.
• Condition of telephone wiring inside and outside your location.
• Computer configuration.
• Network or Internet congestion.
• Server and router speeds of the Web sites you access.

Assuming your home or small business is close enough to a telephone company central office that offers DSL service, you may be able to receive data at rates up to 6.1 megabits (millions of bits) per second, enabling continuous transmission of motion video, audio, and even 3-D effects. More typically, individual connections will provide from 1.544 Mbps to 512 Kbps downstream and about 128 Kbps upstream.

To find a DSL service provider visit our ADSL and DSL providers page. There you can find a list of national DSL providers.