DSL

• Digital subscriber line (DSL) technology was a direct improvement over earlier 56k dial-up modems, which could transmit computer data or Internet data. Bandwidth to these devices was constrained by the fact that photo data is sent in analog form, which the modem had to convert back into digital form. DSL effectively "split" the phone line into a voice line and the data line; the voice line was sent in analog form, and the data line sent in digital form.
  
  

Cable Internet

• Just as the Internet data for DSL piggybacks on your phone line, cable Internet shares the same line as your residential television connection. The cable box accesses the television signal, and a cable modem accesses the Internet signal. The cable box communicates with a central "cable modem termination system" which routes Internet traffic over the cable network.
  
  

T3

• T3 lines are similar to DSL lines, in that they are capable of sending voice and digital data, but they operate at faster speeds than DSL lines. They are also capable of carrying much more bandwidth, with the capacity of over 6000 phone lines, according to the Internet Access Guide. Due to the high cost of installing the lines, they are more common in industrial and corporate settings than in residential area.