>> how many different types of Broadband products are out there.
Generally speaking Cable and DSL ... Broadband meaning highspeed internet connection.
Cable is broadband provided over fibre optic cable supplied and laid to the home by the TelCo such as NTL.
DSL is terminology where xDSL stands for
Digital Subscriber Line being the method of transmitting the data over copper telephone wires.
ADSL is Asymmetric DSL where the downstream is higher than the upstream
SDSL is Symmetric DSL where both are the same.
RADSL is Rate Adaptive DSL where your router and the DSLAM at the exchange negotiate the best speed for your line conditions.
Traditionally ADSL is provided as fixed 512kb, 1Mb, 2Mb... but adsl can be provided up to 8Mb.
BTWholesale currently provides ADSL, SDSL, RADSL (max). MaxDSL uses DSL technology but is Rate Adaptive.
LLU is actually DSL but the equipment in the exchange is provided by another cable co other than BT Wholesale. (
Local Loop Unbundling).
LLU operators are also using newer technologies ADSL2 (>12Mb) and ADSL2+ (>24Mb) which allow much higher speeds if your line can sustain them.
http://www.internode.on.net/adsl2/graph/