What is DSL?
The term refers to a techonolgy that provides high-speed network connections to homes and small businesses.
How does it work?
DSL (digital subscriber line) companies use plain old copper phone wires to deliver data at high speeds to your home or office. You share the same line for digital and analog traffic, meaning that you can be surfing the Web while talking on the phone at the very same time. The technology behind DSL only works over a limited physical distance. Your home must be located within 18,000 feet (3.5 miles or 5.5 kilometers) from a telephone exchange.
How fast it is?
Usually speed is offer at 1.5 Mbps for download and 128 kbps for upload. Web pages loaded about three to five times quicker than with dial-up. The real difference comes when downloading multi megabyte files, which can show up on your computer in minutes rather than the hours required for dial-up.
DSL vs. Cable
Cable's theoretical bandwidth limits are higher (but you'll never reach them), it's more consistent from user to user unless your next-door neighbor is downloading heavy files of information.
With DSL, you get higher speeds the closer you live to the phone company's central office.
Requirements
You will need a phone line for DSL (your primary home phone line can be used); a modem, which usually comes with the service; an Ethernet card, which most nowadays computers are equipped with; and a company that services your area.
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