A faster connection to the Internet. I'm Fred Fishkin with Bloomberg Bootcamp. It's what everyone wants... and that's why there are projections for enormous growth in broadband connections to the net. Cable and DSL service providers are slugging it out to convert Web surfers who are tired of sluggish dial-up access. And it has meant a shift in business for companies like Actiontec Electronics... ..where Lesley Kirchman tells us...

"Actiontec is now moving into the broadband arena. We used to do analog modems in the past and we're now moving heavily into the broadband arena. So Actiontec is now developing DSL modems and we're moving into the networking arena as well. So we'll offer wireless and home phoneline networking products for our customers."

The networking products allow that high speed Internet connection to be shared among multiple PCs in the house. What's unique about Actiontec's move into DSL, is its partnership with America Online...

"So what happens is, consumers can actually buy this product at a retail store, take it home, install the modem themselves and then work with America Online to have their DSL line set up. And what that entails for the consumer is, more often than not, they do not need to have someone come to their home to actually install a special DSL line. All they need to do is work with America Online to have that DSL line set up remotely."

You can even get a rebate back from AOL to cover the cost of the modem. It's best to confirm with your local phone company whether DSL service is available before you buy.