Asymmetric digital subscriber loop (ADSL) technology has proved itself in various video-on-demand (VoD) trials as a technically viable means of delivering VHS-quality moving video over the existing twisted copper pairs of the access network. A very high-speed version of this technology (VDSL) is now emerging which has the potential to deliver more channels of higher quality broadband multimedia services over a hybrid fibre-copper access network. This paper provides an overview of the enabling copper transmission technologies (both ADSL and VDSL) and the metallic access environment.