Should You Get A Fiber, DSL, Or Cable Internet Connection?

Are you currently shopping around for Internet in your area, and you have the choice between a fiber, DSL and cable connection? Here are the differences between these three types of technologies.

Cable Internet

Cable Internet is often provided from your local cable TV provider, and uses the existing infrastructure to get it to your home. This means that the Internet data travels through a coaxial cable made out of copper wire, which has limitations for how fast the connection can be. Cable internet connections actually use multiple copper wire cables that are bonded together, with a set amount of bandwidth dedicated to your area for upload and download speeds. A priority is given to download speeds so that everyone has a speedy connection, with upload speeds frequently being capped.

The result of getting the Internet to your home in this way is that performance can often be degraded by heavy users in your area. You are also limited to how fast you can upload data from your home, because the upload speeds are less of a priority. When you are trying to access the Internet at peak hours, you may experience a slow down, due to how others are using the Internet in your area.

Fiber Internet

Fiber Internet is capable of offering much faster speeds than cable Internet, because it uses fiber-optic cables that transmit data with light. These cables allow data to travel faster over a longer distance when compared to coaxial cables, and are less prone to interference since it does not use electricity to transmit the data. 

You'll find that fiber Internet does not cap their upload speeds to the same level that cable Internet does, since they are able to offer upload speeds that match your download speeds. You'll need to subscribe to a faster speed package if you want to take advantage of these speeds, but know that they are always an option if you need them, once the fiber Internet service is installed in your home. 

DSL Internet

DSL Internet uses telephone lines to transmit the Internet to your home, and is often provided by your local phone company. This is not the same as old dial up connections – it offers much faster speeds that make it a high speed connection. It is often an affordable choice for people on a budget, though it has theoretical max speeds that are going to be slower than what you would get with a cable Internet connection. 

For more information about cable internet, fiber internet service, or DSL internet, contact an internet provider near you.

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