DSL, VDSL and fiber optics
DSL is the abbreviation for Digital Subscriber Line, which translates roughly as digital subscriber line. With DSL, there is one modem at the subscriber's end and one at the network operator's end, which are permanently connected to each other. DSL makes it possible to transmit very high data rates, even over the conventional copper cable network, which was originally intended for analog telephony.
The cable network is currently being gradually upgraded to fiber optics, which will enable even higher data rates.
The fiber optic network is almost always a hybrid network, as the last meter from the distribution box to the house connection remains a copper line in most cases. The range of the DSL signal is severely limited. The further a connection is from the network operator's exchange, the lower the bandwidth. As a result, bandwidths are usually lower in rural areas than in metropolitan areas. In the city, the bandwidth from the distance to the nearest distribution point is also relevant for fiber-optic connections because, as already mentioned, the last meter usually consists only of copper cable.
DSL is only the generic term under which this technology is marketed by network providers. DSL technology has been steadily developed since it was first switched on in Germany in 1999 as follows:
- ADSL
- ADSL2
- ADSL2+
- VDSL2
- VDSL2-
- Vectoring G.fast
