ADSL and Fiber Internet connections are on two different playing fields. Each offer a myriad of advantages, but when you break it down and look at availability, speed, reliability and cost, you can really start to understand where each will or will not accommodate your business needs.
For more tips on finding a suitable Internet connection for your business, check out our post about things to consider when choosing an ISP.
ADSL
FIBER
Availability
ADSL connections are available in mainly urban areas—wherever you can get a phone line, you can typically get ADSL. You need to be within 22,000 feet from the phone company’s central office (CO) in order to receive this type of service because as you move farther away from the CO, the signal weakens and Internet speeds slow significantly.
1 A
fiber optic connection is available in limited areas–but that’s quickly changing due to the demand of faster speeds. Since fiber utilizes a completely different cable structure then
ADSL, new cabling is required for service, therefore; it may be a while before it covers the same footprint as ADSL provides. Speed is not affected, however, by distance as is the case with ADSL.
2
Speed
ADSL’s downloading speeds range from 5
Mbps and up to 50 Mbps in some areas, with upload speeds up to 1.0 Mbps. ADSL is an asymmetrical connection and can not offer the same upload and download speed.
Latency with ADSL usually ranges from 75 to 400 ms, depending on the location of your business.
1 Speeds for a
fiber optic connection are nothing short of impressive, ranging from 5
Mbps and 100
Gbps for downloads and uploads! Fiber is typically a symetrical connection so you’ll have the same upload and download speed. With an Internet connection like this, multiple users are able to download and upload, share files, and stream audio and video all at the same time with virtually no effect on performance.
2 Latency is not typically an issue with fiber either.
Reliability
An
ADSL connection is what’s considered an “always-on” connection, meaning your device is always connected to the Internet as long as it’s on and the phone lines remain active and undamaged.
1
It’s important to keep in mind that if your telephone line is accidentally cut by a service worker or is taken out of service due to extreme weather conditions, your Internet will go down. If your business demands internet that’s highly available you may consider an additional connection for your business for it would be ideal to have a backup option for Internet access.2 Typical repair times are 24-48 hours depending upon the outage.
Of all of the Internet connections available,
fiber is arguably the most reliable and the highest quality. Even in instances of power outages, it is far less likely than
ADSL to be affected. In addition, fiber optic lines use glass as a conductor and therefore experience no interference from high-voltage electrical equipment or nearby power lines, unlike ADSL, which generates electricity.
2 Typical repair times are 2-12 hours depending upon the outage.
Cost
Monthly prices for
ADSL services can range anywhere from $20 to $90, depending on the speed you sign up for and the length of your contract, if there is one. Since phone service is necessary, you may endure additional charges for the phone line to be in working order, and installation fees may apply as well.
3 The cost for
fiber-optic is generally much higher than the cost of
ADSL, ranging from $100 to $5,000+ a month. These prices can vary depending on your location, your desired speed and the terms of your service agreement. Installation fees and activation fees can occur but are typically waived with promotional offers or the signing of a 1-, 2-, or 3-year agreement.
2
Cable and Fiber Internet options are two of the most popular broadband choices available. Each have their pros and cons for industries large and small, so let’s compare them based on availability, speed, and reliability to know which will best suit your needs.
For more tips on finding a suitable Internet connection for your business, check out our post about things to consider when choosing an ISP.
CABLE
FIBER
Availability
Availability for
cable Internet is one of its biggest advantages over fiber-optics. If you’re in an area where you can receive cable TV, you’ll have the option of getting cable Internet.
1 A
fiber optic connection is available in limited areas–but that’s quickly changing due to the demand of faster speeds. Since fiber utilizes a completely different cable structure than
Cable, new cabling is required for service; therefore, it may be a while before it covers the same footprint that Cable provides.
2
Speed
Cable can provide businesses with speeds all the way from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps down and and 1 to 5 Mbps up, which is more than adequate for most small businesses.
1 Bandwidth is shared with other users in the area, so speeds can slow down during peak, or work, hours. Cable generally has a
latency of 100 milliseconds, whereas with fiber, latency is usually not an issue.
3 Speeds for a
fiber optic connection are nothing short of impressive, ranging from 5 Mbps and 100 Gbps for downloads and uploads! Fiber is typically a symetrical connection so you’ll have the same upload and download speed. With an Internet connection like this, multiple users are able to download and upload, share files, and stream audio and video all at the same time with virtually no effect on performance.
2 Latency is not typically an issue with fiber either.
Reliability
Cable Internet provides an “always-on” connection: as long as your device is on and cable lines are active and in working order, you’re connected to the Internet.
3 If you’re in an area that experiences a lot of cable TV outages or interruptions, you’ll also experience the same for your Internet, so if you rely heavily on your connection to conduct business, it would be ideal to have a backup connection in place.
1 Typical repair times are 24-48 hours depending upon the outage.
Of all of the Internet connections available,
fiber is arguably the most reliable and the highest quality. Even in instances of power outages, it is far less likely than
Cable to be affected. In addition, fiber optic lines use glass as a conductor and therefore experience no interference from high-voltage electrical equipment or nearby power lines, unlike Cable, which generates electricity.
2 Typical repair times are 2-12 hours depending upon the outage.
Cost
Cable connections are often bundled with phone and cable TV services, which allows you a good price for your cable Internet; the stand-alone option will cost more, most likely. Installation fees may also apply with this service, but overall, monthly fees can be anywhere between $60 and $300 per month.
4 The cost for
fiber-optic is generally much higher than the cost of
Cable, ranging from $100 to $5,000+ a month. These prices can vary depending on your location, your desired speed and the terms of your service agreement. Installation fees and activation fees can occur but are typically waived with promotional offers or the signing of a 1-, 2-, or 3-year agreement.
2
T1/DS3 and fiber connections are used primarily by those businesses that are heavily reliant on the Internet to complete the daily operations of business. T1/DS3 connections are a common go-to for many businesses, but the popularity of fiber is ever increasing. To know which will best suit your business needs, we’ll examine the factors of availability, speed, and reliability, and the cost related to each type of connection.
For more tips on finding a suitable Internet connection for your business, check out our post about things to consider when choosing an ISP.
T1/DS3
FIBER
Availability
Availability for
T1/
DS3 connections are one of its biggest advantages over
fiber-optics. T1/DS3 utilizes the existing copper infrastructure and can typically be installed anywhere.
A
fiber optic connection is available in limited areas–but that’s quickly changing due to the demand of faster speeds. Since fiber utilizes a completely different cable structure than
T1/
DS3, new cabling is required for service; therefore, it may be a while before it covers the same footprint that T1/DS3 provides.
1
Speed
In the recent past,
T1/
DS3 connections were the standard for enterprise business. This technology is delivered over the existing copper infrastructure and can handle speeds from 1.5
Mbps to 45 Mbps. To deliver faster speed, for example, typically two
T1 lines were bonded together to provide a speed of 3 Mbps.
T1/
DS3 are the most comparable to
fiber as they both offer symmetrical speeds. This allows multiple users to perform data-intensive tasks related to uploading and downloading at the exact same time.
Speeds for a
fiber optic connection are nothing short of impressive, ranging from 5
Mbps and 100
Gbps for downloads and uploads!
Fiber is typically a symmetrical connection so you’ll have the same upload and download speed. With an Internet connection like this, multiple users are able to download and upload, share files, and stream audio and video all at the same time with virtually no effect on performance.
1 Latency is generally not an issue with
fiber either.
Reliability
Of all of the Internet connections available, both
T1/
DS3 and
Fiber are arguably the most reliable and of the highest quality. T1/DS3 uses the existing copper infrastructure which sometimes makes them easier to repair. Typical repair times are 2-12 hours, depending upon the outage.
In instances of power outages, it is far less likely than
T1/
DS3 to be affected.
Fiber optic lines use glass as a conductor and therefore experience no interference from high-voltage electrical equipment or nearby power lines, unlike
T1/
DS3, which can generate electricity.
1 Typical repair times are 2-12 hours depending upon the outage.
Cost
Monthly prices for
T1/
DS3 services can range anywhere from $400 to $5000+ a month, depending on the speed you sign up for and the length of your contract. These prices can vary depending on your location, your desired speed and the terms of your service agreement. Phone service is not a requirement; however, you may need additional hardware to utilize the connection. Installation fees and activation fees can occur but are typically waived with promotional offers or the signing of a 1-, 2-, or 3-year agreement.
1 The cost for
fiber-optic is generally much higher than the cost of a
T1/
DS3 connection, ranging from $100 to $5,000+ a month. These prices can vary depending on your location, your desired speed and the terms of your service agreement. Installation fees and activation fees can occur but are typically waived with promotional offers or the signing of a 1-, 2-, or 3-year agreement.
1
It’s crucial to know a few things about your Internet needs before you commit to an ISP. One thing that can help you determine your Internet needs is to consider the service you currently have by observing its performance and limits. Here are some questions to jump-start the process:
How do you use the Internet?
Know your current situation—know your users, how many you’ve got, and also, be aware of how they rely on the Internet to accomplish their daily tasks. Monitor the current network traffic by making note of file transfers and how long they take, looking at how often these transfers take and recording any interruptions in service.
Another thing to consider is where your company is going: what will your future needs be? If you plan on hosting more webinars or if you’d like to seek cloud solutions for data storage, you’ll need something with enough bandwidth to handle these tasks, so keep that in mind while you’re shopping around.
How reliable is your connection?
Do you often find you lose your connection several times in a month? In a week? In a day?
Reliability is crucial—you need something you know you can count on to work when you need it to. Take note of each time you find your connection has gone down or slowed dramatically and consider that trend when looking into a new provider or service. Also, it’s highly recommended that you determine a backup Internet connection in the instance that your Internet goes down so you always have a way to access critical resources and information on your network.
What about cost and commitment?
Once you’ve pinned down the Internet connection best suited for your needs, make sure you factor in any potential installation and equipment costs, along with the length of your terms of service agreement, if there is one.
Gbps:
Gbps stands for Gigabits Per Second and is a unit for measuring the transfer rate for data across an Internet network.
1 Gb = 1000 Mb
Mbps:
Mbps stands for Megabits Per Second and is a unit for measuring the transfer rate for data across an Internet network.
Fiber:
A fiber-optic Internet connection uses fiber-optic cables containing strands of glass fibers to transmit data using light rather than electricity.
DS3:
A DS3, also referred to as a T3 or level 3 T-carrier, is basically equal to about 28 T1 lines. So, essentially, it’s a T1 line beefed up on steroids.
T1:
A T1 line, also known as a T-carrier, is a dedicated DSL business line that provides companies with solid upload speeds and extreme reliability.
ADSL:
ADSL stands for Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line and is a type of Internet connection that uses pre-existing copper phone lines to transmit data.