Permitted Attached Private Lines, abbreviated PAPL, are voice-grade telephone wires that run point-to-point (rather than point-to-exchange) between locations in the telephone company's copper network. Data can travel across the PAPL link (at a distance of up to 3.5 km) at speeds of around 2Mb

Megabit

The megabit is a multiple of the unit bit for digital information or computer storage. The prefix mega is defined in the International System of Units as a multiplier of 106 , and therefore...

 per second. Originally, PAPLs were intended to act as basic alarm circuit

Alarm circuit

A dry loop is an unconditioned leased pair of telephone wire from a Telco. The pair does not have a dial-tone or "battery" , as opposed to a "wet pair" .A dry pair was originally used with a security system, but more recently may also be used with DSL equipment or an...

s for fire or security systems, though in recent years have been utilised to carry DSL

Digital Subscriber Line

Digital subscriber line is a family of technologies that provides digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network. DSL originally stood for digital subscriber loop. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line ,...

 data signals.

In 2007, Telstra

Telstra

Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....

announced the cessation of all Voice Grade Data Lines in favour of IP networks in a document titled "Whats Next Product Exits Changes and Solutions".
A good document to read detailing one users exit strategy is authored by Brian Smith of the NSW RTA. A copy is available from migration@paclink.com.au