Hardly a week goes by when someone doesn’t ask about high-speed internet access. Within the past few years the focus seems to have gone from business use to personal home use. The amount of information and entertainment to be found on the internet is incredible and that’s driving companies like Qwest and Comcast to offer competitively priced high-speed internet access. But which one is right for you? Cable and DSL are the two most popular choices.
What is DSL? DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line, is a technology for bringing high-speed connectivity to homes and small businesses over regular copper telephone lines. Connection speeds for DSL typically range from 1.5 Mbps to 7 Mbps. They have also introduced fiber optic cable into the mix in some areas allowing for download speeds up to 20 Mbps. Also, a DSL line allows for one line to carry both voice and data signals, and for the data portion of the line to be continuously connected.
Cable Internet, while also being delivered via copper cable, is set up differently. Using existing coax cable TV lines, cable modems take advantage of a much newer infrastructure than a typical DSL connection. Speeds available via cable are generally up to twice the speed of DSL. DSL connections often travel over lines that have been in place for 40+ years! This greatly limits their capacity. DSL is not available in most areas due to a lack of modern equipment in many neighborhoods. The first question to ask is: Is it available in my neighborhood? The equipment needed by the provider company to bring Internet to your area is very costly, and they must be able to justify the purchase price by determining how many potential customers there are in your area. Also, there are limitations in your distance from the phone company’s equipment. By calling your local DSL or cable provider you can find out whether or not it’s available. Some companies, like Qwest for example (http://www.qwest.com/), allow you to put in your telephone number on their web site to determine availability without talking to a salesperson.
If both cable and DSL are available in your area, you have an advantage. When DSL and cable services are competing you’ll likely get a better price and better selection of service plans. Both offer great speed, but price and good customer service will probably be the determining factor for most home users.
Here are several companies in Colorado that offer high-speed Internet access geared toward home use:
