What Is the Difference Between DSL & High Speed?
There are several ways to obtain high-speed Internet service, but the terminology and marketing strategies can be confusing. DSL is actually one type of popular high-speed Internet, along with cable, cellular (mostly for laptops) and fiber optics.
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DSL Basics
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DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line and uses a phone line to access the Internet. Phone service is not necessary, but expect to pay slightly more than you would if you had an active land line.
High Speeds
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There is actually no strict definition for what qualifies as a "high-speed connection." DSL offers a wide range of speeds that can go down to 256 kilobytes per second (Kb/s) and up to 1024 Kb/s.
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How Fast is Fast?
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By comparison, a dial-up modem connects at up to 5 kilobytes per second. A cable Internet connection can go up to 20 megabits (or 2048 Kb/s), and often faster.
DSL Cost Differences
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Unlike cable, however, a DSL connection typically requires a 1-2 year agreement. If you cancel before the agreement expires, you can be charged a fee of a couple hundred dollars (it varies by provider). You may be able to get "month-to-month" DSL for a higher monthly price.
DSL Geography Distances
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The speed of your DSL connection also degrades according to the distance from the CO (Central Office) where your line connects to the Internet. If this distance is greater than 10,000 feet, you may not be able to get the highest speeds offered by the DSL provider.
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