dig·i·tal adj. of or relating to data in the form of numerical digits
sub·scrib·er n. to receive a periodical or service regularly on order
line n. a wire or pair of wires connecting a station with another or a whole system of such wires; also : any circuit in an electronic communication system

DSL stands for "Digital Subscriber Line," a broadband technology that uses telephone lines and digital coding to create a connection to the Internet from your computer. That link can carry vast amounts of voice, video and data information at very high speeds.

How Does DSL Work? DSL service providers use the same copper-based lines that let you make and receive telephone calls. To send data at high speeds:

Carriers use the lines' higher frequencies that telephone service doesn't need.

DSL modems are hooked up at both ends of a telephone line -- one in the home, the other in the nearest telephone company switching station.

The modems digitally divide your telephone line into three channels: One handles telephone traffic, one handles upstream data from your computer to the Internet; and the third handles downstream data traffic from the Internet to your computer.

What are DSL's major advantages? It's fast. It's always on. It doesn't tie up your telephone while you're online as a so-called "dial-up" service does. And it won't interfere with caller ID, call waiting or other telephone features.

How fast is a DSL connection? The technology can deliver data ranging from 128 kbps to 7.1 mbps. That's from six to 125 times faster than the standard dial-up connection's speed of 28.8 or 56 kbps. With a DSL broadband connection, you can:

Download huge files from the Internet in a fraction of the time it takes a dial-up service.

Move from Web site to Web site as if you were changing the channels on a TV set.

Access a growing range of news, entertainment and information resources, including specialized services being developed expressly to take advantage of broadband's blazing speeds.

What does always on mean? Once you've turned on your computer and clicked on your DSL connection to the Internet, that link stays on as long as your computer does. There's no need to dial a telephone number and then wait for your modem to connect you to the Internet -- often a time-consuming, frustrating exercise -- every time you go online. An always-on connection lets you hop on and off the World Wide Web whenever you want with no delay; send an e-mail at a moment's notice; or access vast databases at the flip of a switch.

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