Pros and Cons of DSL Internet Service

DSL Internet service is one of the most popular choices in the country, with more than 50 million homes subscribing to DSL, according to a 2009 industry survey. If you want high speed Internet, DSL Internet service will be one of your main considerations. It's important to understand what DSL is and some of the pros and cons of DSL Internet Service.

What is DSL Internet Service?

DSL is short for digital subscriber line. The service uses existing telephone lines to transmit Internet service. Although the phone lines are involved, you can talk on the phone and search the Internet simultaneously using DSL. The main competition to DSL is cable broadband, brought into homes through existing TV cable lines. The wide swatch of companies offering cable broadband had 68 million subscribers in 2009.

Benefits of DSL Internet Service

• Availability. Because DSL is delivered through existing phone lines, the service is widely available and offered by many regional and national telephone providers.
• Cost. DSL is generally less expensive than other high-speed alternatives such as cable broadband and satellite Internet. Additional savings are available if the DSL Internet service is purchase in a bundle with other services such as cable TV, local and long-distance phone and cell phone service.
• Security. Most computer experts agree that DSL is more resistant to hackers and other security issues because of the way DSL Internet service is delivered to customers. There are no bandwidth issues with DSL. With cable broadband, the line providing the service also delivers high speed Internet to other customers in the neighborhood.
• Reliability. Because the service relies on existing phone lines, there is generally better service response and fewer service issues with DSL Internet service than cable broadband.

Concerns with DSL Internet Service

• Speed. For the most part, cable broadband delivers faster Internet connections than DSL Internet service can deliver. This is a significant issue for the average computer user and probably the main reasons that cable broadband is the most popular type of high speed Internet service in the country.
• Performance issues. Additionally, DSL is a service with distance-based issues that can affect the quality of the Internet service. The further a home is from the main hub supplying the DSL service, the more problems are likely to arise for the customer. Most of the issues revolve around the speed of the connection.