ADSL

ADSL is short for asymmetric digital subscriber line, this is a new technology that allows more data to be moved over existing copper telephone lines. ADSL supports date rates from 1.5 to 9 Mbps when receiving data which is called the downstream rate and from 16 to 640 Kbps when sending data which is called the upstream rate.
Such rates transform the existing information network from one limited to voice, text and low resolution graphics to a powerful, ubiquitous system capable of bringing multimedia, including full motion video, to everyone's home this century. The basic and the important requirement of the ADSL connection is the ADSL modem. ADSL is growing in its popularity all over the world with a rapid speed. Unlike regular dialup phone service, ADSL provides continuously-available, "always on" connection.
The A stands for Asymmetric in the ADSL., which means that the speed of your connection does not flow equally in both directions. Data from the ADSL connection is received much faster from the internet than that of the sent to the internet. The ADSL is the perfect solution for the Internet surfing but it is not good for the Web hosting.
An ADSL circuit is much faster than a regular phone connection, and the wires which are used for the ADSL are the same as copper wires, which are used for the regular phone service. An ADSL circuit must be configured to connect two specific locations, similar to a leased line.. ADSL is often considered as an alternative to ISDN, allowing higher speeds in cases where the connection is always to the same place. ADSL will play a very vital role over the next few years as telephone companies, and other Internet service providers, enter new markets for delivering information in video and multimedia formats.

By bringing movies, television, video catalogs, remote CD-ROMs, corporate LANs, and the Internet into homes and small businesses, ADSL will make these markets viable, and profitable, for telephone companies and application suppliers alike.