This paper provides an overview of digital subscriber line (DSL) technology and describes some of the key technical issues facing BT's DSL engineering team. The factors which determine the theoretical information-carrying capacity of BT's access network cables are discussed to give the reader a feel for the potential of the existing access network to deliver broadband services. Transmission on this network will be subject to impairments which will limit the achievable capacity, and there is an urgent need to ensure that all DSL systems are spectrally compatible if the capacity of the network is to be fully realised.