"Texas Instruments has developed new DSL technology designed to give phone companies a cost-effective migration path toward higher-speed services that can handle applications like video and voice."

Backwards compatible with the DSL you and I are probably used to, Uni-DSL allow carriers to boost their bandwidth to 200mbps, and thusly paves the way for all sorts of multimedia goodies to come your way. Struggling to compete with cable, DSL is clearly trying to become all it can.

More here.

now if they would just ditch the requirement that I maintain a phone line account along with the dsl...

Phone line is sort of required for DSL.. Almost like power lines are needed for electricity

What... it doesn't just... sort of... float through the air??

Actually, a working phone NUMBER is NOT required for DSL. Only a pair of wires going to the CO (central office) which has DSL routed to it. Phone signal and DSL signal are combined onto a single pair of wires at the CO. DSL can use those same wires w/out an active dial tone.

Quite true

That is quite true, but a lot of dsl companies charge extra if you don't have an active line.
Not too strange either since it costs them less to rent active lines from the phone companies, compared to inactive lines.

I'm just glad I found one provider which didn't cost extra, since I have no need for an earth line (cellphone all the way baby )

That's really quite funny. Next thing you know, you guys will develope some personality and all of TS will devolve into a geek-centric-frat-party-kegger (without any women) and I will be the first to shave nodsu's eyebrows off when he passes out in a pool of his own intestinal effluvia.

Unless of course, someone takes it apon themselves to develope a code of conduct to wich we all can aspire- elevating ourselves above the base, sophomoric attempts at humor by exploitation...

Gee- I wonder what hypocrite wrote those rousing words?

Rick, that has been the future for several years, and every time it's gone into testing there's been found flaws which makes it impossible to use.

There is so much noise on the powerlines as it is, with bad/old wiring, home made contact points etc., and if that wasn't enough there is more noise created each time you start/connect something new that draws electricity meaning that it's still just a dream.

Ok, so they're starting new tests in the states. Well, we've been doing tests on this for the last couple of years, with upgrades whenever new tech came around to fix the problems (getting disconnected when someone plugs in a new machine which draws electricity anyone?), but still haven't gotten to the point where it's anywhere near ready for mainstream use.

So I'll reserve my "w00teh" calls until it's no longer plans of testing, but complete rollout to every house.