Before you start ripping your clothes off, naked DSL isn't what it sounds like. Normally if you want to have DSL service, you need to have a traditional phone line from the same company as well. Your phone company will then simply split your phone line so that it will work with both your regular telephone and your DSL connection.

But what happens if you have a mobile phone for all your telephone needs and no longer want the hassle of having a landline that you never use, but still want high speed Internet? After all, while cell phones have replaced landlines, there's still demand for high-speed Internet, and wireless doesn't always cut it. Before, your choices were either to go with cable (which comes with its share of problems) or to deal with the redundant phone line you don't want just because it always came bundled with DSL.

That's where naked DSL comes in. With this service you no longer need a landline in order to get DSL Internet service. Naked DSL is the trendy name for DSL without phone service. Now all of you ultra-high-tech people can have your cell phones and your DSL without being forced to have a landline as well.

Naked DSL also goes by many other names. For those of you out there who blush saying the “n” word, you can call it by one of its other, less trendy names. These include: standalone, dry loop, dry line, or unbundled DSL.

However, just because you're not paying for a landline anymore doesn't necessarily mean you're saving money. While it may seem like you're saving money at first, there are many hidden fees and taxes that you need to calculate before you make your decision to go with naked DSL. While the cost of standalone DSL might be slightly cheaper than having it bundled with a landline, after fees and taxes, the price difference between the two could fluctuate between only a couple of dollars difference.

In some cases you might end up saving a significant amount of money, like with Verizon in the United States. Verizon's naked DSL runs about $25 less per month than its bundled package. But this figure stands out as being quite a high savings. With most companies you don't end up saving nearly as much money. To offset the lost revenue of not having phone service, many companies will charge a higher rate for standalone DSL versus the bundled package. That coupled with the additional taxes charged for standalone DSL and you're really not looking at much savings.

Depending on your needs and what kind of deal you can find on naked DSL, you might be better off just getting the bundled package. It doesn't cost the phone companies any more or less if you have the bundled package or the standalone service so for them it's a no-brainer- charge a higher premium for standalone so they can make more money per customer. For the customer, on the other hand, if you're going to be paying the same price anyway, it might make more sense to get the bundled package- at least you'll be getting more services for you money even if you don't use the landline very often.