Information Systems 12 (E238) 2007
Data Communications: ADSL

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ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)

DSL

“more than a phone line... it’s a global solution”

Commonly represented as DSL or xDSL:
DSL Life

DSL LIFE: The Consumer's Guide to xDSL Technology

Advertising
Broadband
Speed

It’s annoying to find your broadband connection much slower than you expected, even more so if you changed your internet service provider (ISP) because the new one claimed faster speeds. The industry practice of advertising hypothetical speeds that can’t be achieved in the real world could be downright misleading.

Concerned about this practice, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued an information paper with a checklist for the industry to help ISPs comply with their obligations under the Trade Practices Act 1974 when advertising their broadband services.

“The paper focuses on ADSL2+ because consumers may be attracted to these services by speed claims,” ACCC Chairman Graeme Samuel said.

ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, a technology that uses the copper wire phone network to deliver broadband services from a telephone exchange to the customer’s home. While in theory ADSL2+ can achieve rates of 24 megabits per second (24 Mbps), the actual speed will be lower, depending on your distance from the exchange, the line quality of the copper wire between you and the exchange, electrical interference from outside sources, the number of other users of the cable, your hardware and software, and even the website you’re trying to download.

According to the ACCC, ISPs should avoid using hypothetical speeds in headlines and should list in their advertising all factors that affect the speeds. If maximum speeds are quoted, they must be achievable by a reasonable number of potential customers.

Choice, April 2007:5