Sprint wireless broadband uses a tower on top of a mountain, and people have small antenna on their house.From the antenna, it runs down to a modem, then hooks up to your computer. It is a microwave single both ways. I don't hook to a phone line. For speed I get 3.50 mb to 4.50 mb down, and 180 kb upload, but it varies. The upload speed is supposed to be up to 250 kb, but I have never reached that speed.