Quick DSL Facts:

• DSL works over a phone line, but does not affect your phone service. A customer can use their phone and be on the DSL at the same time
• DSL is not available in some areas (see Where is DSL Available?). To find out if DSL is available to a customer submit his info to us.
• ReachDSL is a product that provides DSL to customers who could not get DSL because they live to far from their phone company CO. We only sell this service to customers who can't get "Basic" DSL.
• 99% of other providers who offer DSL require the user to sign a contract for at least a year.  We have no contract requirement.
• It can take up to 2 weeks to install DSL, however most orders are filled in a week and a half.

Globcom DSL offerings:

*Our DSL is over 4 times faster then most discount DSL offerings (such as SBC and Verizon)

*No contracts to sign

*Free DSL Modem

*Friendly customer service that speaks several languages

How DSL works:

DSL is a broadband technology that transmits data over existing copper phone lines. Unlike modems that use the phone network and phone switches, DSL signals simply ride the copper wire to the nearest phone company CO where they are split off to special routers that take user data to the internet. Because this process does not involve phone switches that only transmit signals a human ear can hear, the DSL equipment is able to use a much wider range in the electro magnetic spectrum for transferring data. This is what enables DSL to provide connection speeds vastly superior to those of analogue modems.

Where is DSL available?

One of the main limiting factors that has slowed the progress of ADSL/SDSL deployments is the distance cap of 15000 feet from customer location to the phone company central office(CO). This restriction is due to the fact that ADSL/SDSL transmissions suffer from serious signal loss over long distances. Due to this signal loss service becomes unreliable for users any further then 15000 feet away from their nearest CO. A new technology called RDSL (Reach DSL) has increased this limit to 20000 feet and allows almost 3.5 million customers who were unable to get DSL before to enjoy this service. The only option available to subscribers in rural areas that fall outside of Reach DSL coverage is IDSL. This service is fairly costly, but offers virtually no distance limitations.

Service availability is also affected by the presence of SLC devices on the line, poor quality cabling or fiber optic cabling between the consumer and the central office. In the case of fiber optic lines, customers are automatically disqualified because DSL is a copper based technology and can not transmit over fiber.

There are several DSL standards:

ADSL or Asynchronous DSL allows for different upload and download speeds. (Upload-data sent from the user to the network, Download-data sent by the network to the user). This standard is typically used for residential DSL installations and allows DSL signals to go over existing voice phone lines without disturbing the phone service. Because no additional phone lines need to be provisioned for this service, this is typically the most economical option.

SDSL is a Synchronous DSL service that provides synchronous data transfer with identical upload and download speeds. This service is usually considered a business level service and often requires a separate phone line to be used.

RDSL, also known as Reach DSL is a new technology that extends the distance DSL signals can travel over regular phone wires. This is a half duplex service with speeds up to 256Kbps. Just like ADSL, Reach DSL does not require a dedicated phone line and is a faster, more economical alternative to IDSL.

IDSL is a DSL over ISDN standard. This standard uses ISDN lines as opposed to regular POTS(Plain Old Telephone System) lines to provide service. Due to the expense of ordering a dedicated ISDN line and because this service is limited to a maximum speed of 144Kbps it is often used as a last resort option for users with no access to other kinds of broadband.

DSL vs Cable:

In the recent years cable companies have come out with high speed internet offerings claiming great speeds and ease of use. Despite the fact that cable modems generally do deliver fairly high data rates, most cable providers fail to mention the fact that their offerings are shared bandwidth solutions. Unlike DSL where users get an unshared dedicated circuit, for cable modem users, the speed of their internet connection depends on how many people in their neighborhood access the internet at the same time. With this system a lot of users find that during peak surfing hours in the evening their "broadband" cable connection is only slightly faster then regular dialup. Another important concern that cable modems bring to their users is security. The fact that you share the same wire with roughly 800-1000 additional users means that any one of those users with a packet sniffer can monitor all traffic generated by your computer. Not only is it possible for others to see the websites you visited, they can also get your credit card numbers or other sensitive information that's sent to the internet unencrypted.

DSL vs DSL: