What is ADSL

ADSL broadband connects to the internet over your home telephone line. An Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line or ADSL is provided over your existing phone line through copper wires.

It uses the Openreach phone line network and is currently the most common broadband connection available in the UK.

How to get ADSL home broadband?

To connect ADSL broadband, a microfilter is used to separate the frequency of your phone line from your broadband connection so you can use the internet and the phone at the same time.

This is provided by all major UK broadband providers using the Openreach infrastructure. Usually, your ADSL broadband connection is added to your existing phone line package but if you don’t already have a pre-existing phone line, this can also be set up with Openreach.

How fast is ADSL broadband?

Despite being the most widely available internet connection, the top download speed usually only reaches 8Mb, with uploads even slower at just 1Mb.

Pros and cons of ADSL broadband

There are many benefits to ADSL broadband:

· The set-up is quick and easy, with little disruption.

· It can be added to your phone line package.

· It’s available to almost everyone in the UK.

· It’s the cheapest internet option available.

The disadvantages to ADSL broadband:

· It’s the slowest internet connection.

· It’s now an outdated form of broadband.

· It doesn’t support multi-device streaming or large downloads.

· It can often be inconsistent and patchy.

Alternative broadband options

Although the most widely available connection, with nearly every home in the UK able to receive it, the quality and reliability of your ADSL broadband can be affected if your telephone exchange is far away from your home, your cables are old, or there are too many people using the same line at one time.

With the advancement in technology, 4G/5G mobile broadband has become more widely available offering increased speeds and more reliability depending on where you live.

Full fibre broadband, however, is now the highest quality internet connection available with up to 1-gigabit speeds and multi-device consistency. This technology is currently being rolled out across the UK with Fibre Heroes working hard to reach underserved towns and areas.

If you’re looking for faster broadband, why not see if a full fibre network is available in your area by using our postcode checker?

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