ADSL allows a broadband (hence fast) internet connection along your existing phone line. It even allows you to talk while it uses the same line for your Internet connection.

• ADSL
  ... offers potentially much faster connections and offers a permanent connection to the net for a set fee
• Can I get ADSL?
  Although ADSL uses your existing phone line you used to have to be less than 3.5km from your local telephone exchange. A new version (RASDL) extends coverage to 5.5km from any exchange... or 90% of the UK population.
• Security
  ... is a major issue - temporary changing IP addresses make dial up connections hard to hack - while ADSL gives you a permanent IP address. If you have valuable data on your PC, ever enter confidential passwords (for work or e-banking) or buy goods online using your credit card then you should invest in firewall hardware or software. Alternatively download the free firewall from the zone labs website. The link is at the bottom of the ADSL diary page.
• UK Broadband
  If you live in the UK and you've heard about "broadband Britain" leading the world then its time to cool off - its easier trying to find signs of government investment in London underground - According to an OECD report "The Development of Broadband Access in OECD Countries"the UK is now 22nd in the OECD out of 30 countries
  UK 0.28 conections per 100 people
  OECD average 1.96 / EU average 0.8
  South Korea now has 14 (or put in perspective 50 times as many broadband users as UK!)
  
• Hopeful signs
  After an amazing wait for BT to offer a competitive product for ISP's to sell, the new BT boss thankfully has made an immediate impact, with price cuts that have seen monthly ADSL connection costs for users fall from about £45 per month to about £25.
  
  Most ISP's now agree the price is right for large scale takeup of ADSL and are quietly increasing the charges to modem users to make the new services even more tempting...
  
• Useful link
  ADSL Guide UK with everything you want to know about setting up ADSL in the UK and how to choose a provider.
• Click to go on to more information about ADSL Self install and our ADSL diary covering the nuts and bolts of getting connected.