Broadband internet access, also referred to high-speed internet access, provides businesses and consumers, internet access at considerably higher rates of speed than standard dial-up modems. Broadband does not simply pertain to one specific type of internet service or data transfer rate. Broadband is continually changing and developing, and it encompasses a wide range of technology including fibre optic cable, cable modems, Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity), WLAN (wireless local area networks), and DSL (digital subscriber lines).

Digital Subscriber Lines, or "DSL," uses the existing customer phone lines to provide internet or intranet access to businesses and homes using high-speed broadband technology of varying levels.

Broadband DSL works by connecting subscribers to a main broadband DSL access multiplexer. The broadband DSL multiplexer sends a signal from the broadband DSL customer phone line to a network, which then in turn connects the subscriber to the internet.

Broadband DSL use digital technology by compressing sizeable quantities of video, audio, and data into what is known as "bits." The bits are transformed into graphics, text, and other information which are transferred at high rates of speed to business and home computers across the globe.

At the uppermost level, the two primary categories of DSL are asymmetric and symmetric. Residential broadband DSL typically uses asymmetric variations which include RADSL, UADSL/G.Lite, and ADSL. Data transfer rates are considerably slower upstream than downstream, so this type of broadband DSL, ADSL, is suitable for residential use where surfing the internet is the primary internet activity. Residential internet users generally have more incoming than outgoing data.

Symmetric varieties of broadband DSL, SDSL, are IDSL and HDSL. These broadband DSL variants are suitable for most business applications. Upstream and downstream transfer rates are the same, making SDSL technology suitable for server hosting, video conferencing, LAN applications, file transfers, and email.

Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides information about broadband and DSL at Just Broadband!