What is Asymmetric?
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) is the most popular form of xDSL technology. The key to ADSL is that the upstream and downstream bandwidth is asymmetric, or uneven. In practice, the bandwidth from the provider to the user (downstream) will be the higher speed path. This is in part due to the limitation of the telephone cabling system and the desire to accommodate the typical Internet usage pattern where the majority of data is being sent to the user (programs, graphics, sounds and video) with minimal upload capacity required (keystrokes and mouse clicks). Downstream speeds typically range from 768 Kb/s to 9 Mb/s Upstream speeds typically range from 64Kb/s to 1.5Mb/s. ADSL usually has a downstream rate that is approximately 10 times faster that the upstream speed, but some ADSL offerings today deliver the same speed bi-directional, e.g. 384kbps bi-directional.
Related Questions
- Are asymmetric flow fields around kilometer-scale topographic seafloor elevations reflected in the sediment?
- Can oncogenes and their associated mutations affect asymmetric versus symmetric divisions in stem cells?
- Why was the layout of the asymmetric bars in womens gymnastics altered so they are further apart?
