Cable modem or DSL: Which is better?

My Net connection approaches light speed with cable, but that doesn't guarantee victory over DSL.

By Simson Garfinkel

Sep 23, 1999 | A high-speed battle for digital dominance is unfolding across the United States. In one corner are the nation's cable companies -- AT&T and RCN, to name a couple -- which have been busily upgrading their networks and deploying cable modems for high-speed Internet access. In the other corner are local telephone companies, like the Baby Bells, and dozens of Internet service providers, which are deploying their own high-speed systems using a technology called digital subscriber line or DSL.

This competition between cable and telephone giants is just what Congress had in mind when it passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996. But while competition has pushed companies to bring out new services and lower prices, it also has created consumer confusion. It doesn't make sense to get both a cable modem and a DSL connection. So if both are available in your area, which should you get? Which is better?

Lately I've been caught somewhere in the middle of this great battle. As a technology columnist for the Boston Globe, I've been routinely peppered by questions from readers. They want to know which is faster today -- cable or DSL -- and which system will be faster in a few years, once everybody else in their neighborhood is online. They're also nervous about the security implications of having their computer constantly connected to the Internet and the supposed "party line" nature of cable modems.

At the same time, as the co-owner of an Internet service provider on Martha's Vineyard, I'm nervously watching the movements of the island's cable provider, wondering if those sleek, high-speed Internet appliances might eventually put my ISP out of business --- or force us to do something entirely new. My ISP, Vineyard.net, has spent thousands of dollars deploying its own DSL system---with very mixed results.

I've been engaged in the debate between the proponents of cable modems and DSL for nearly a year now, and I've become increasingly frustrated. Both sides seem to be speaking past each other, arguing half-truths and twisting the facts to suit their own arguments. This isn't entirely surprising, considering the amount of money on the table. But it isn't necessary, because both technologies have merits and should be able to stand on their own.

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