Study: Cable speeds outpace DSL

CED Magazine ^ | 4/23/03 | Jeff Baumgartner

[Pro-Bush]

Study: Cable speeds outpace DSL

Jeff Baumgartner, CED

Consumers are generally willing to pay more for a faster connection, but the speeds provided by high-speed cable and DSL providers remain rather inconsistent, comScore Networks revealed in a new study that details broadband usage and quality of service.

The research firm found that the average cable modem connection was more than 50 percent faster than the average residential DSL connection.

Citing observed network speeds in February 2003, cable averaged 708 kbps, led by Cablevision Systems at 800 kbps and followed by Comcast Corp. (794 kbps), Cox Communications (688 kbps) and Adelphia Communications (575 kbps).

Residential DSL averaged just 467 kbps, led by ATT WorldNet's 762 kbps. SBC was second with a 584 kbps average, followed by DSL reseller Earthlink Inc. (369 kbps) and Qwest (240 kbps).

If preference trends hold up, cable's better average speeds will continue to pay dividends, comScore said.

Broadband competition "has created intense pricing pressure, so performance metrics such as connection speed are likely to become an increasingly important factor, both for consumers selecting a broadband provider and as a part of providers' sales and marketing efforts," said comScore Networks Vice President of Telecommunications Solutions

[Pro-Bush]

The research firm found that the average cable modem connection was more than 50 percent faster than the average residential DSL connection.

[PFKEY]

Shhh...

Cable is slow and you have to share your bandwidth, plus there is the security issues related to this sharing.

[Pro-Bush]

Hmm. Sensitive subject. I read the threads from last night.

[PFKEY]

Threads from last night?

I must have missed something. Who is being sensitive and about what?

[Pro-Bush]

Cable vs. DSL

[teletech]

I haven't met a DSL yet my cable couldn't beat!

[LPStar]

I'd like to know if this firm is paid by anyone. This sort of study can be rigged. If you're the only cable customer in the group that shares the connection, it's fabulous. Otherwise, you're going to have lots of performance up and downs. But DSL is more scalable, in my opinion.

[BlessingInDisguise]

DSL is generally pretty crappy, expensive, troublesome and unstable compared to cable connections of the same speed.

However DSL has an edge on cable when it come to UPLOAD speeds most of the time.

Give me cable anyday....

[BlessingInDisguise]

I've payed $29.99 monthly for cable connection in my home town that is at times more than 100X faster download than DSL connection of the same price.

SERIOUSLY!

[AmericaUnited]

I haven't met a DSL yet my cable couldn't beat!

This post was deposited to you via DSL at 1208kbps. You are beating that? I average that speed ALL-THE-TIME.

[KneelBeforeZod]

cable has always been faster than DSL. the tired "shared bandwith" argument never mentions distance issues with DSL

[teletech]

This post was deposited to you via DSL at 1208kbps. You are beating that? I average that speed ALL-THE-TIME.

Goody!

[KneelBeforeZod]

I wonder if you can download a 20 meg file in 1 second on DSL off their backbone.

nope, you can't.

this was a good test for whiners who said their DSL was faster.

of course with all the hops and traffic on the internet, you'd never get anything close doing real world surfing

[Green Knight]

Oh yeah? Well my 56K WebTV is beating you ALL!

[PFKEY]

My experience with DSL was fairly disappointing. Other than the usual headaches associated with installation/provisioning and whatnot, once installed I got around 700K.

With cable I get over 2000K. After several months of service I had my first outage about two weekends ago.

In talking with the support folks I was told that on my "trunk" there were approx 160 customers.

Now I don't know if that is many or few but the speeds are wonderful.

[Pro-Bush]

But DSL is more scalable, in my opinionHelp me understand how 2 twisted copper wires are more scalable.

[lotus]

I'm on satellite and just ran this test at the bandwidthplace:

1.1 megabits per second
Your raw speed was 1127168.52 bits per second which is the same as:
Communications

1.1 megabits per second How communication devices are rated. Kilo means 1,000 and mega means 1,000,000. Examples include 56k modem and 10Mbit Ethernet

Storage

137.6 kilobytes per second The way data is measured on your hard drive and how file sharing and FTP programs measure transfer speeds. Kilo is 1,024 and mega is 1,048,576.

1MB file download

7.4 seconds

The time it would take you to download a 1 megabyte file at this speed.

Rating
Compared to all connection types worldwide, yours is fantastic

[Arthalion]

The biggest advantage to DSL, in my opinion, is that it tends to be far less restricted than cable. I run a web server, DNS server, and email server on my 1100KBS average DSL line, and SBC KNOWS about it. With DSL, the prevailing attitude in the industry seems to be that you're buying bandwidth (much like a T1), and what you do with it is your business. My SBC terms of use explicitly state that I can hook up as many services and computers to my line as I want, as long as I'm not reselling the service.

Cable is a much different story. Most cable providers TOS limit you to one computer (enforcement is a different issue), prohibit servers, and many block incoming connections on the ports you're most likely to use for running your own public systems. Heck, I know a guy who got his Comcast service shut down for the "crime" of running a personal web site on his computer.

You also have greater security concerns on cable. Cable is, essentially, a big local network with an Internet gateway. Although security has improved in many areas, it is still stupidly easy for people on the same network to hack your computer. With DSL, at least you have the security of being on your own private, dedicated virtual circuit.

Cable may be a little faster, but I'll keep my DSL.

[Fledermaus]

My cable is faster than DSL...and we can't get DSL in our area anyway.

And it's not that expensive. I keep hearing the cost is high from Juno or Earthlink dialup users that crow about a $10 a month fee! Great if you like waiting and disconnects and slow page loads.

I was paying $25 for Compuserve and now pay $40 for Comcast. I then turned off my second phone line and saved $30 a month. So I'm paying less overall for better speed and service.

If the cable modem goes down for any reason, which it has for a few days once in 3 years, I have a few free AOL dial up CD's I get in the mail and use them for backup if I'm deparate...like when the cable went down for 2 days during the war and I was addicted to the LIVE Thread! :-)

[Fledermaus]

I have firewall protection with my cable and my Comcast hasn't stopped me from using a Yahoo based personal website.

I'd use the free one I get with Comcast, but it's raw and requires you know html language to use. Yahoo is cheap and let's me pick and choose templates. I'm good with computers as long as I don't have to tell them what to do.

That's what programs are for and I'm not interested or even care to know all that SBC, DNS stuff.

I just want to surf the internet fast. Works for me.