a modest speed, limited distance, local access solution using a single regular telephone pair. Although an 8 Mbps maximum is theoretically possible, with a maximum return path of 800 Kbps, a 2004 survey showed that in North America, the average bit rate from CO to the subscriber is only about 500 Kbps. The path length cannot exceed 5.5 Km or 3.4 miles. Supports simultaneous transmission of data and voice over the same pair.
A method for moving data over regular phone lines. An ADSL circuit is much faster than a regular phone connection, and the wires used are the same wires used for regular phone service. ADSL supports data rates of from 1.5 to 9 Mbps when receiving data (known as the downstream rate) and from 16 to 640 Kbps when sending data (known as the upstream rate). ADSL requires a special ADSL modem.