Any fast, permanent internet service is called 'broadband', although there are various ways of getting broadband connected to your home.
Broadband can come via your phone line, a cable TV service, 3G mobile phone network or by satellite.
The most common method is via your phone line using a system called ADSL.
ADSL
ADSL uses the same cable that connects your phone to the local exchange.
However it does not stop you making or receiving phone calls.
ADSL lets you use the internet and the phone at the same time
This might seem odd, especially if you are used to a dial-up connection where you can't use the phone and the internet at the same time.
How ADSL works
Unsurprisingly, the telephone system was designed to carry the human voice along wires.
The sound of your voice is converted into small electric pulses which travel along the wire. These electric pulses are then converted back into sound at the other end, so the other person can hear you.
