This type of access does not entail any third-party access to the copper pair in the local loop.

It requires four twisted copper pairs, but those pairs were only required to be category 3 rather than the category 5 required by TX.

T-1, E-1 and variants (high speed telecommunication over copper pairs)

The traditional twisted copper pair continues to be a determinant element of access networks.

"The shorter the copper pair, the more bits it will carry," Mr. Weber said.

Some pair gain units can expand the number of subscriber lines available over a single copper pair to as many as sixty.

This configuration is more efficient than the alternative of having separate copper pairs between each service termination point (the subscriber's location) and the central telephone exchange.

One Telspec EU rack connects as many as 80 analogue lines over 40 digital copper pairs.

The remote unit (RU), which connects two analogue customer lines to one digital copper pair.

Digital pair gain, a telecommunications term for delivering multiple phone lines over a single copper pair.