Bresnan Cable Vs. Qwest DSL High Speed Internet

DSL, or digital subscriber line, service provides a high speed Internet connection by sending large amounts of data across standard copper telephone lines. Voice calls traditionally made on telephone lines operate at a specific frequency which ranges from 0 to 4 hertz. Dial-up or standard modems use the same frequency to transmit digital data, which is why customers with dial-up connections cannot talk on the phone and surf the Internet at the same time. Voice data takes up only a small amount of available space on the copper telephone wires, leaving plenty of room for data to be transmitted at different frequencies. DSL service sends data at different frequencies (25 hertz to 1 mega hertz), and higher speeds, than voice data.

Cable Internet is different than DSL service in that it provides access to the Internet through fiber optical cable wires. Cable Internet service is also different from DSL in the way it connects users to the Internet. DSL lines create a one to one connection between a user's computer and an Internet server so the user is not sharing his connection space with anyone else. Cable lines bundle users together so that groups of users share a connection line; when all users in that group try to access the Internet at the same time, connection speeds will be lower than optimal. Cable Internet boasts of speeds up to 40 Mbps, which is about the same as the maximum speeds advertised by DSL services.

Bresnan Communications was founded in 1984 to provide cable television and digital phone service to customers in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Utah. As of June 2011, Bresnan was the nation's fifth largest cable operator. Bresnan focuses its services on mid-level markets in cities that are not the population centers of their states. As of June 2011, Bresnan had undergone a name change to rebrand itself as Optimum. The company's high speed Internet plan offers customers up to 15 Mbps of download connection speed and up to 2 Mbps of upload speed. Customers who add "Optimum Online Boost" for an additional monthly fee can enjoy connection downloading speeds of up to 30 Mbps and 5 Mbps upload speed. The additional service also offers a Website builder tool, free website hosting, domain name registration and up to 250 email accounts.

Qwest is a telecommunications company offering telephone and high speed Internet through its DSL service. As of June 2011, Qwest began the process of merging with Century Link to form one of America's largest corporations. Qwest offers a range of high speed Internet plans through its DSL service. Connection speeds range from 1.5 Mbps in the lowest tier to 40 Mbps of download speed and an upload speed of 5 Mbps.