So no unplugging every time you want to use the phone. Ordinary modems stop at 56,000bps. It sounds good, but once the details of the rollout had emerged, the brave new dawn became overcast. For a start, only some of us will qualify for the new technology. Living in urban areas is a prerequisite, as only exchanges in large cities are currently being upgraded.
Cost is another concern.
No-one wants ADSL to be another ISDN, where expense makes it a technology only for businesses and rich consumers. This price seems exorbitant, but there's little chance that ADSL will fall into the hands of ordinary ISPs, which will have to pass the cost on to the consumer. In its early stages, ADSL will most likely come as part of a package, in much the same way as the Internet did when AOL set up shop. Services are likely to come from well-known players such as AOL, Virgin and the BBC, as well as BT itself through its offshoot, BT Internet. The ADSL Forum and many others believe that costs will be too high for general acceptance at first, but that within two or three years prices will drop.