56k modems achieve their speed by avoiding a conversion from digital to analog lines in the connection between user and service provider. Ordinary connections begin over an analog line. From there the signal is converted to digital by the phone company and are converted back to analog in the final segment before arriving at the service provider. 56k connections begin analog, are converted to digital by the phone company and are not converted back to analog for the service provider. This requires the service provider to have a direct digital connection and therefore avoids one conversion of the signal. By avoiding this second conversion, speeds of up to 56k and faster are possible. Therefore, modems users need to know that they can only achieve 56k if their service provider supports it.