Cable vs. DSL broadband: which is faster?

Broadband Internet connections are getting more affordable by the minute. Thus, more people are getting broadband connections, dissatisfied as they are with the slow speeds, busy networks and other disadvantages traditionally associated with dial-up Internet connections. This trend is apparent everywhere, from the US to the UK to Japan, from North America to Europe to Asia.

Broadband Internet services are divided into two types: they are either digital subscriber line (DSL)- or cable-based. Both technologies have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages. Which should you get if the primary consideration for your selection of a broadband Internet connection is speed?

Cable internet uses the lines over which cable television signals are sent to households. Cable internet service is potentially faster thanDSL, as cable modems are capable of speeds of up to 30Mbps, twice the speed of DSL modems. However, cable Internet speeds ultimately depend on the number of users simultaneously accessing the service, and how congested traffic on the Internet is. Moreover, because of speed caps imposed by cable ISPs on their subscribers, the potentially high speeds of cable Internet service are not attainable.

DSL ISPs use traditional telephone lines to provide their services to clients. As discussed above, DSL is slower than cable. In the end, however, the difference is negligible, as speed caps imposed by both DSL and cable ISPs serve to make the speeds of both types of services almost equal.

Because of the negligible difference in actual speeds between cable and DSL Internet services, it is hard to recommend which of the two types of broadband Internet service the average consumer should get.

Ultimately, it boils down to which service is available in the neighborhood. If both types are available, consumers are well-advised to look at other factors, such as reliability and costs, when choosing which type of Internet service to get.

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