NOTE: We may accept new DSL customers -- please contact us for availability. The following description is informational only.
DSL stands for "Digital Subscriber Line" and is a very specific type of "broadband" or "high-speed" Internet connectivity service. DSL runs over your phone line, but unlike dialup service, DSL uses different frequencies than voice services, so you can use both DSL and Voice at the same time without interference (note that DSL requires a "filter" on your phone line so that the DSL signal isn't co-mingled with your Voice service.
Unlike Dialup, which can be used on virtually any telephone line, your telephone line has to be provisioned by the telephone company (e.g. CenturyLink, formerly Qwest) to allow DSL. You can check to see if your telephone number qualifies .
Even if you phone line qualifies for DSL, you may not be able to obtain all the speeds generally provided by the telephone company. This is due to a number of factors, but the qualification tools available through CenturyLink will tell you what speeds you qualify for. In most cases, faster connections cost more.
You should try to match your speed requirements to your needs. If you use your DSL to access your email and for very light web-surfing, a 256K connection (5+ times the speed of dialup) is probably adequate. If you're an "eBayer" or frequently download pictures or other large files, 1.5Mb is probably a better speed (25+ times the speed of dialup)>. If you use the Internet as part of your job, or if you're a gamer, or if you like to stream movies, you probably want to increase your speed to 3.0Mb or higher.
DSL is actually two independent services -- your phone company (e.g. CenturyLink) provides the connection from your home or business to the Central Office, and your Internet provider (ISP) provides the connection from the Central Office to the Internet. Typically, CenturyLink does both, but you are not locked into them as your ISP. Pricing ranges from $35 to $90 per month, depending on contracted bandwidth.
If you contract with CenturyLink for ordering and support, you might get non-native English speakers located in a foreign country. Simply as for support from a native English speaker for best results.
