DSL a runaway success, in the US

The demand for high-speed access over traditional telephone wires in the shape of digital subscriber line (DSL) technology is rising - in the US, at least.

While UK net users wait and wait for widespread ADSL services to be rolled out, consumers and small businesses in America are increasingly turning to the technology that promises speeds around ten times faster than conventional modems.

According to figures released by the Federal Communications Commission, there will be two million DSL subscribers in the US by the end of the year. Last year there were 370,000 subscribers.

Despite the positive signs, the US shares some of the problems familiar with the UK. The FCC figures reveal that only 45 per cent of rural areas had any subscribers.