DSL Vs. Cable Speeds

Although speeds and performance vary on geographic location, cable broadband connections generally provide faster speeds than a DSL, or digital subscriber line, connection.

Speeds

According to high-speed-internet-access-guide.com, the best DSL connection offers speeds of 3 Mbps (megabits per second) to 7 Mbps, while premium cable speeds are generally 12 Mbps to 16 Mbps and can be even faster.

Misconceptions

Cable was not always the leader in connection speeds. When broadband technologies were still young, many cable companies had not updated their connections to include fiber optics, leaving DSL and cable companies delivering similar speeds.

Benefits

Both DSL and cable internet connections provide speeds that are far greater than a dial-up connection over a phone line, which runs at a maximum speed of 56 Kbps (kilobytes per second).

Expert Insight

The DSL speeds a user experiences are directly related to the distance from the provider's central office. The farther away from the office the slower the speeds. Whereas cable services do not lose speed regardless of how far they are from the central hub.

Cost

As of 2009, high-end DSL services that provide higher speeds cost about $45 a month, and the slower speeds cost about $20 per month. Depending on the provider cable services cost $40 to $55 dollars a month.

References

• CNet Reviews
• High Speed Internet Access Guide
• Velocity Guide