ADSL Connection in UK

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is a form of DSL, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional dial-up modem can provide. It does this by utilizing frequencies that are normally not used by a voice telephone call, in particular, frequencies higher than normal human hearing. This signal will not travel very far over normal telephone cables, so ADSL can only be used over short distances, typically less than 5 km.

The distinguishing characteristic of ADSL connection over other forms of DSL is that the volume of data flow is greater in one direction than the other, i.e. it is asymmetric. Usually providers market ADSL services that have download speed faster than upload speed.

To have ADSL connection at home you will need an ADSL Modem / Router, which is usually provided by your ISP.

ADSL was introduced to the UK in trial stages in the late 1990s and a commercial product was launched in 2000. In the United Kingdom, most exchanges, local loops and backhauls are owned and managed by BT Wholesale, who sell the connectivity to ISPs, who then provide the actual connectivity to end users.

For BT Wholesale ADSL products, users initially had to live within 3.5 kilometers of the local telephone exchange to receive ADSL, but this limit was increased thanks to RADSL (Rate Adaptive Digital Subscriber Line), although users with RADSL may have a reduced upstream rate, depending on the quality of their line. There are still areas that cannot receive ADSL because of technical limitations, not least of which networks in housing areas built with aluminium cable rather than copper in the 1980s and 1990s, and areas served by optical fibre (TPON), though these are slowly being serviced with copper.

Nowadays, most home users have ADSL Max based (up to 7.15 Mbps) and priced in the £15–30 per month price range.

Several companies are also operating their own services using unbundled local loops, notably Bulldog Communications in the London area, and Easynet, through their consumer sister company UK Online, who have enabled exchanges all across the country, from London to Central Scotland. As such, packages are available with typical speeds of 4 Mbps, 8 Mbps or up to 24 Mbps downstream in certain areas. Because these companies do not have to conform to the same regulatory conditions as BT, they can offer products at sometimes considerably lower prices. UK Online recently announced a 512 kbps product for £9.99 per month. Another company, Be, is offering speeds of up to 24 Mbps downstream, using ADSL2+ but this is only available on a small number of exchanges mostly in the London area. New exchanges are being upgraded by these companies every day, increasing speeds across the country. Again these products are often priced in the £20-30 per month range.