What is best for home internet service, Cable, DSL, or Fiber Optic?

Question

Currently have cable service which is fine but considering switching to Verizon FiOS will it be better?

Answer 1

Best ISP: Fiber-optic broadband.
While not available in all areas, Verizon's FiOS network gets the highest customer satisfaction and speed scores in major surveys. For $45 per month, downstream speeds are rated at 15Mbps -- compared with 3Mbps to 6Mbps speeds of cable and DSL. Upstream speeds -- which determine how quickly you can send e-mail, photo and video files -- are far faster as well. The upshot is that if FiOS is available in your area, it's easily the best Internet service provider. A slower 5Mbps service (*est. $35) and faster 30Mbps service (*est. $180) are also available. Right now, the service only works with Windows computers. Installation is free with a one-year contract.

Best cable broadband ISP.
Earthlink gets the highest marks for its cable ISP, scoring well in overall customer satisfaction and reliability. Earthlink includes a highly regarded spam filter, along with other security features. Speed is rated at 6.0Mbps, and a modem is free with self-installation. If Earthlink isn’t available in your area, Road Runner and Optimum Online cable services are close runners-up in the PC Magazine reader survey.

Best DSL Internet service.
Reviews say cable Internet service is generally faster than DSL, but DSL can be less expensive. DSL is also available in several speed classes, so you can choose to sacrifice some speed for a lower monthly bill. Among DSL service providers, BellSouth gets high ratings for reliability and overall customer satisfaction. BellSouth’s DSL Ultra service offers speeds up to 1.5Mbps -- slower than cable, but still far faster than dial-up. A 3Mbps plan (*est. $38) is also available. Availability depends upon your local phone-service provider, since DSL works through existing phone lines.

Budget DSL.
While some cable and DSL services reach downstream speeds of more than 3.0Mbps, AT&T’s new budget DSL has a maximum downstream speed of just 768Kbps. While far slower than other broadband, basic AT&T Yahoo! DSL service is still 15 times faster than a dial-up connection. And because it is DSL, your connection to the Internet is always on and it doesn't tie up your phone line. While AT&T Yahoo! gets below-average customer-satisfaction scores, its low cost makes it a compelling alternative to a slower dial-up ISP like AOL or Earthlink dial-up, both of which are more expensive. Verizon also offers the same kind of basic DSL service, but at a higher $20 per-month rate.

Answer 2

Well fiber CAN deliver the fastest speed of these but the speed being delivered is the question. What speed is Verizon delivering with the FIOS. If it is less than the cable then its not really an upgrade.

Answer 3

Cable is usually faster and more expensive than DSL.
Cable typically is about 10Mbps download speed and is about $40 per month.

DSL typically offers several different speeds.

AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet Express Package
384 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps download speed
128 to 384 Kbps upload speed $14.99/ month

AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet Pro Package
1.5 to 3.0 Mbps 384 to 512 Kbps $24.99 /month

AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet Elite Package
3.0 to 6.0 Mbps 384 to 608 Kbps $34.99

Answer 4

Check out http://turnononline.com for different internet service specials.