[mariuolo]

> aDSL speeds have been pretty flat since they removed the requirement, even though newer DSL technologies are available.

Playing devil's advocate here.

How would they increase adsl speed if it's very much distance-related? It tops out at 24Mbps and even then in ideal conditions.

Those newer DSL technologies require laying fiber closer to the customer and that's a nontrivial investment.

[izacus]

Huh? Here in EU the DSL speeds have been steadily growing up to 50Mbit without users doing much (ISPs deploy either modern ADSL2+ or versions of VDSL). A copper wire that could only carry 8Mbit before now carries full triple-play at 30+Mbits.

Most of that has come from legislation that forced the monopolistic owner of copper wires to let competition use them.

[darkr]

Parent was referring to the fact that VDSL/VDSL2 is more sensitive to loop attenuation that ADSLx. Yes, you can get 100MB symmetric over a copper pair, but only for 300M or so.

Hence VDSLx is usually rolled out only as part of an FTTC deployment, where the ISP needs to roll out new fibre (rather than copper) to the caninet/junction box, and in most cases install DSLAM units in those cabinets also.

[brianwawok]

To get full DSL speed you need to be within X feet of a junction box, which many people are not.