Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
<communications, protocol> (ADSL, or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop) A form of
Digital Subscriber Line in which the bandwidth available for
downstream connection is significantly larger then for
upstream.
Although designed to minimise the effect of
crosstalk between the upstream and downstream channels this setup is well suited for web browsing and
client-
server applications as well as for some emerging applications such as
video on demand.
The data-rate of ADSL strongly depends on the length and quality of the line connecting the end-user to the telephone company.
Typically the upstream data flow is between 16 and 640 kilobits per second while the downstream data flow is between 1.5 and 9 megabits per second.
ADSL also provides a voice channel.
ADSL can carry digital data, analog voice, and broadcast MPEG2 video in a variety of implementations to meet customer needs.
["Data Cooks, But Will Vendors Get Burned?", "Supercomm Spotlight On ADSL" & "Lucent Sells Paradine", Wilson & Carol, Inter@ctive Week Vol. 3 #13, p1 & 6, June 24 1996].
See also
Carrierless Amplitude/Phase Modulation, Discrete MultiTone.
ADSL Forum (http://www.adsl.com/).
