Internet Broadband Comparison

Cable Internet travels over the same network as cable television, and both utilities are usually provided by the same company. Cable boasts the fastest speeds of any residential Internet connection, with premium connections capable of 50 Mbps or greater downloads. Installations generally require a technician to visit your home and set up the equipment. Because customers share bandwidth with neighbors, certain times of day may see a reduction in speeds.

Digital subscriber line is a form of broadband service that uses copper telephone wiring to transmit data back and forth over the Internet. Speeds are many times faster than dial-up technology, and DSL does not interfere with phone service. DSL offers a single dedicated line for each subscriber, so traffic is not a limiting factor as it is with cable Internet. However, distance from the transmitter can lead to slower speeds. In general, DSL offers a bit less speed than cable, but still enough for most purposes.

Wireless broadband comes in several varieties. Wireless ISPs can transmit data over radio waves using existing towers. The geographic reach of this technology is greater than DSL or cable with comparable speed and reliability. The cost of building and maintaining a wireless infrastructure is also less than other delivery methods. Wireless routers can generate a hotspot in a coffee shop, library or home office. Wireless access for rural areas has been spearheaded by both government and non-profit organizations.

Cell phone companies design smart phones with the Internet in mind. The latest smart phones have powerful processors and built-in modems to access the data stream carried over the cellular network. Signal strength is the determining factor in whether you receive fast and reliable access over a phone. Another limitation is screen size. Web pages often have variations for display on mobile devices, and these may have less information than the full-sized page that you would find on a desktop or laptop.

Consumers living in rural areas often don't have the option of receiving cable or DSL Internet. Other people may not be interested in either land line phone service or cable television. In both cases, broadband Internet via satellite may be an attractive option. Satellite requires installation of a dish on or near the home and a cable traveling from the dish to the modem. Because many customers are relying on the same satellite for their Internet, ISPs typically have daily or monthly download limitations. As for speed, satellite broadband is about as fast as DSL, though not as fast as high-end cable Internet.