no, you are just dealing w/ the system limitations

basically, what cable does is run a high speed connection to an area & then everybody in that are works off that cannection....a rather large network per sae

no w/ dal, since it is a high speed digital signal that rides on you phone line w/ the voice bandwith, you have a dedicated connection @ the ISPs (the phone co) connection to the net

**techniacal mumbo jumbo**
all voice convos, dial-up modems, fax & credit card machines & caller ID work in a narrow bandwith of about 300-3000hz. that leaves approx 3500-20000hz unused & is where the dsl signal comunicates. that bandwith is then broken down for about 3500-7000hz for your upload & the rest for download traffic.

this is why w/ dsl, you have filters that you put on every phone. if you didn't, you would hear this data traffic in the upper frequencies in phone convos. the filters remove it so you don't hear it.

typically, 1.5meg dsl has a loop distance limit of ~18kft from the dslam that provides the dsl signal. typically the dslma is located in the local telco central office, but more & more the dlams are being rolled out into remote locations to extend the radius that it available to customers.

at&t' has been offering UVERSE that is VoIP, internet & HD tv all off 1 high speed connection. basically from what i understand in the limited amount of training i have received so far is that depending on the level of service requested, it is (2) 12 or 24mb connections to the house & then the modem bonds these 2 signals together & then fractionalizes the signal out to the different devices

as mentioned earlier, dsl is very much distance dependent & when you are trying to get 12 & 24mbs to the house, it is vital & therefore the distance limitation on it has been capped at ~5500ft. that is why they have been rolling the remote dslams out like wildfire....toi get as many customers as possible w/in 5-5500ft of the remote dslam