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FAQ

Q1. What is ADSL?

Q2. Who provides ADSL services?

Q3. Who is the best ISP?

Q4. What are the benefits of ADSL?

Q5. Where can I get more information about this service?

Q6. How much does ADSL cost?

Q7. What about ADSL service with speeds higher than 256Kbps?

Q8. Will telephone calls be charged separately to data usage?

Q9. Am I going to pay any per-minute charges?

Q10. How much does the ADSL modem cost and where can I get it from?

Q11. Will I still be able to use my phone line for dialing the Free Internet numbers?

Q12. Can I use my phone line for sending and receiving faxes?

Q13. Will there be any degrading of the voice quality over my phone line?

Q14. Can all Telecom Egypt I.N. (Intelligent Network) Select services be supported?

Q15. Do I need to get a new telephone number?

Q16. Do I need any special software on my PC?

Q17. How long does it take to setup?

Q18. Is anyone required to visit my home or office to install my ADSL connection?

Q19. Can I Interrupt my subscription to ADSL (e.g. Traveling) and then resume it again?

Q20. Can I take my ADSL Service with me if I move premises?

Q21. Does ADSL work with an ISDN line or Wireless connection?

Q22. How does ADSL speed compare to other access technologies?

Q23. How does ADSL work, and how can it be so much faster if it uses the same phone line as 56k connections?

Q24. How can I know if I need ADSL or ISDN?

Q25. Will everyone be able to take advantage of ADSL?

Q26. Is ADSL suitable for all Internet applications?

Q27. I have a web site; can I host it over ADSL?

Q28. I need to host a mail server over ADSL, can I do that?

Q29. I want to make cheap phone calls over ADSL, is this possible?

Q30. Can I connect my ADSL to my neighbor next door?

Q31. What about security?

Q32. What about office networks?

Q33. If I link more than 1 computer to ADSL, will this affect my speed?

Q34. What is the difference between ADSL and leased lines?




Q1. What is ADSL?
ADSL is a technology that provides you with an always-on high-speed Internet connection using your normal phone line. Your phone line remains at the same time available to receive voice calls as usual. ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. Asymmetric means a high download rate versus a lower upload rate over the same line. ADSL services may be obtained via one of 8 ISPs. ADSL services require the installation of an additional ADSL modem at your home.

Q2. Who provides ADSL services?
ADSL services are provided by 8 licensed ISPs. A list of all 8 ISPs and their contact information is available at the following web site: broadband.com.eg

Q3. Who is the best ISP?
All 8 ISPs are licensed by the NTRA (National Telecommunications Regulatory Association) to deliver this service

Q4. What are the benefits of ADSL?
  • Uses normal telephone lines
  • No dial-up, always on-line
  • Low Cost - as no new wiring is required
  • Un-interrupted high speed data access
  • Simultaneous voice or fax over the same single telephone line
  • Speed that is 5 to 100 times faster than existing dialup modems
  • True Broadband that makes it possible for full screen video and video conferencing

    Q5. Where can I get more information about this service?
    Please visit the following website: broadband.com.eg

    Q6. How much does ADSL cost?
    A flat-rate of LE 150 per month, for the basic 256Kb/s excluding hardware and other ISP oriented fees. For example support fees. Please check with the ISP for more details.

    Q7. What about ADSL service with speeds higher than 256Kbps?
    Higher speeds are available. For more details please contact the ISP.

    Q8. Will telephone calls be charged separately to data usage?
    Yes. Phone line rental and voice call charges will still apply through your normal phone bill .

    Q9. Am I going to pay any per-minute charges?
    No, you will only pay a flat-fee per month.

    Q10. How much does the ADSL modem cost and where can I get it from?
    ADSL modems / CPEs vary in price but an average CPE costs about LE 500, It can be supplied by your ISP or can be purchased from any computer supply shop. Make sure to consult the ISP for recommended brands.

    Q11. Will I still be able to use my phone line for dialing the Free Internet numbers?
    Of course you can, although you will not need to do that since you will have a permanent connection to the Internet that may be shared by more than one computer.

    Q12. Can I use my phone line for sending and receiving faxes?
    Yes

    Q13. Will there be any degrading of the voice quality over my phone line?
    No

    Q14. Can all Telecom Egypt I.N. (Intelligent Network) Select services be supported?
    Yes, all Select Services can be supported on the phone line, including Call Waiting, Call Return and Caller Display and all other IN services.

    Q15. Do I need to get a new telephone number?
    No, you will be able to retain your existing telephone number. The ADSL connection will not affect your telephone number. In some rare cases, you may need to change your line, due to technical limitations

    Q16. Do I need any special software on my PC?
    No just the CPE drivers if you are using a USB CPE. For more information please contact your ISP

    Q17. How long does it take to setup?
    Your ADSL connection setup should be available for use within one week i.e. 5 working days. (This time may vary due to some possible provisioning issues).

    Q18. Is anyone required to visit my home or office to install my ADSL connection?
    Yes, you may need to have a visit from your ISP to install the service. Yet it is as simple as installing a dial up connection that you may do yourself. You just need to plug the modem into the phone line, install the software and attach the filters or splitters (if needed).

    Q19. Can I Interrupt my subscription to ADSL (e.g. Traveling) and then resume it again?
    You should consult with your ISP

    Q20. Can I take my ADSL Service with me if I move premises?
    This depends on whether the premise that you are moving into belongs to an ADSL enabled exchange. Please contact the ISP to confirm whether you will be able to continue using the ADSL service.

    Q21. Does ADSL work with an ISDN line or Wireless connection?
    No. ADSL services only run over a normal phone line. You may request Telecom Egypt to change your ISDN or wireless line to a normal line, which depends on technical possibility.

    Q22. How does ADSL speed compare to other access technologies?
    Speed comparisons are very hard to make since there are a number of influencing factors - the contention ratio, web site server speed, international bandwidth constraints, etc. However, the following shows the differences in potential speeds: Comparison to 56K home modem bandwidth: Dial-up Modem 28-56kbps: 0.5-1.0x ISDN 64-128kbps: 1.1x-3.3x ADSL based services 256Kbps-2Mbps: 4.5x-36x

    Q23. How does ADSL work, and how can it be so much faster if it uses the same phone line as 56k connections?
    Analogue modems send their signals through the same Telephone Network that connects ordinary telephones for voice data. ADSL modems transmit their signals on top of the voice signal. At the telephone company, the line is split. The voice calls are sent to the Public Switched Telephone Network, and the data transmission goes to the Internet through the network of the 8 ISPs. This method moves data from the lines of the telephone company and instead uses connections designed for carrying Internet traffic.

    Q24. How can I know if I need ADSL or ISDN?
    This depends on what you want to do. The key benefits of ADSL are:
  • Higher bandwidth
  • Always on capability
  • Flat rate charging ISDN is essential if your application is video conferencing over switched PSTN numbers. ISDN also provides the ability of having 2 phone lines on the same copper loop, which is not possible with ADSL.

    Q25. Will everyone be able to take advantage of ADSL?
    There are a number of factors that will affect whether or not you can have ADSL:
  • You need to have any of the 8 ISPs co-located at your local exchange.
  • You need to be located a certain distance from your local exchange, because ADSL is distance dependent. This distance is typically around 3.5km. Around 85% of users live within this distance from their exchange.
  • Your line needs to be qualified by Telecom Egypt, to ensure that ADSL can be delivered over your line

    Q26. Is ADSL suitable for all Internet applications?
    Q27. I have a web site; can I host it over ADSL?
    Q28. I need to host a mail server over ADSL, can I do that?
    Technically it is possible, but the asymmetric nature of your ADSL connection, which means high downloading speeds and less higher (1/4) uploading speeds, makes ADSL not always suitable for some Internet applications. For example hosting a web server where others may be downloading large amounts of data from your site or other applications where you may be uploading large data files. For such applications, where bandwidth and IP addressing limitations can hinder the service, you may need to obtain a dedicated Internet line (leased line) from your ISP.

    Q29. I want to make cheap phone calls over ADSL, is this possible?
    This is illegal, you may risk taking off your line if you do that.

    Q30. Can I connect my ADSL to my neighbor next door?
    No, this is illegal. Sharing your ADSL connection with other neighbors within the same building or across buildings are both illegal.

    Q31. What about security?
    ADSL connections are no less secure than any other form of connection; the key difference is that ADSL is online 24hrs a day and networks connected to the Internet in this way can therefore be probed and attacked at any time. This does not, however, make ADSL inherently insecure. We strongly recommend that security is reviewed as a "whole". For this issue please contact the ISP.

    Q32. What about office networks?
    If your office has an existing Ethernet network, your network can be switched to ADSL by linking your network hub to the router that your Operator will install.

    Q33. If I link more than 1 computer to ADSL, will this affect my speed?
    The more computers or equipment you connect to a single ADSL connection, the more degrading of speed you get.

    Q34. What is the difference between ADSL and leased lines?
    Leased lines are more appropriate for corporates, while ADSL is most suitable for home users and small businesses. Leased lines are by far more expensive than ADSL, as they offer an enhanced dedicated Internet connection with symmetric upload / download speeds, higher availability, guaranteed bandwidths, and other features.