DSL Tennessee, - The first non-AOL internet provider I ever had was Earthlink. Their stock rose with the rest of the brand new ISPs of the late 1900's. The sky was truly the limit.

However, as the internet buble burst in 2000, many companies who provided internet access with equipment purchased with investor dollars were left holding the back with huge networks and no one to fill them. Earthlink DSL was differeint - they saw the need to diversify into high-speed internet access and other cusotmer-friendly value-adds, like Spam Blocker and Adult Controls.

Fast-forward to 2004, where we see Earthlink becomming the leader in DSL - and - Satellite internet access. The demand for high-speed access has never been greater - and by virtue of their carefull planning and listening the collective voice of their customers, Earthlink has vaulted itself into the lead in the race for number one residential high-speed access provider.

In particular, EarthLink made significant inroads in the broadband arena by signing an expanded Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) agreement with Verizon, launching DSL service in Qwest's territories, and teaming up with Progress Energy to conduct a limited Broadband over Power Line (BPL) trial in North Carolina. EarthLink was also encouraged by the March 31, 2004 decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit not to revisit its earlier ruling that cable modem service contains a telecommunications service. If upheld, this decision will help open cable broadband networks to competition, thus enabling EarthLink to offer high speed service over additional cable networks.

Definition 1. - This is technology that uses ordinary copper telephone lines to provide Internet speeds ranging from 1.5 to 9 Mbps--speeds that are 30 to 50 times faster than a regular 56-kbps dial-up modem. DSL also allows users to receive voice and data simultaneously, since the signal is carried on a higher frequency than normal telephone communications. xDSL refers to all types of Digital Subscriber Lines, including: ADSL: Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Lines SDSL: single-line digital subscriber lines HDSL: high-data-rate digital subscriber lines VDSL: very-high-data-rate digital subscriber lines.

Definition 2. - Technology that dramatically increases the digital capacity of ordinary telephone lines. The distance from the customer to the telco central office determines DSL speeds. Asymmetric DSL (ADSL) is for Internet access, where fast downstream is required, but slow upstream is acceptable. Symmetric DSL (SDSL) is best for connections that need high speed in both directions. DSL provides "always-on" operation. At the Central Office, DSL traffic is aggregated in a unit called the DSL Access Multiplexor (DSLAM) and forwarded to the appropriate ISP or data network. DSL can compete with cable modems in bringing multimedia and 3-D to homes and small businesses.

Definition 3. - A method for moving data over regular phone lines. A DSL circuit is much faster than a regular phone connection, and the wires coming into the subscriber’s premises are the same (copper) wires used for regular phone service. A commonly discussed configuration of DSL allows downloads at speeds of up to 1.5 megabits per second. This arrangement is called an ADSL: Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line.

Definition 4. - Short for Digital Subscriber Line, DSL technologies use sophisticated modulation schemes to send data over the copper wire used for your phone connection and is considered high speed or broadband Internet access.