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How Fast is DSL?

A broadband DSL Internet connection is a fast, easy and reliable way to connect to the Internet.   A lot of time can be saved by establishing a broadband DSL connection. 

How Fast is Broadband DSL?

There are different speeds for connecting to the Internet with broadband DSL.  The majority of DSL plans today use asymmetrical DSL, which means that the upstream and downstream rates are not equal.  Most people download documents and surf the Internet far more than they upload anything; therefore, more bandwidth is usually allocated to the downstream side of DSL.  Basic DSL rates typically begin at a download speed of 128 Kbps.  Other common rates include 384 Kbps, 512 Kbps, 1.5 Mbps, a very fast 3 Mbps, and even faster 5 or 6 Mbps connections.  Upstream rates typically range from 128 Kbps to 512 Kbps.  Symmetric DSL, or SDSL, is also available upon order and with the use of a special router.  SDSL is a DSL service where the download and upload rates match. 

Broadband DSL Internet Connection vs. Dial-Up

Broadband DSL speeds vary; however, one of the common rates is 3 Mbps, which is 100 times as fast as a regular dial-up connection speed.  Imagine how much time can be saved on a daily basis using a broadband DSL Internet connection. 

What Can You Do With a Broadband DSL Internet Connection?

Get ready to download music, online photos and files faster than ever with a broadband DSL Internet connection.  You can also save tons of time surfing the Web with a DSL connection, because you don’t have to wait ages for pages to load, get kicked offline by a telephone call, or wait for a connection to be established.  Additionally, Internet TV is getting more popular by the minute and a DSL connection can make it easy for you to watch your favorite shows online. 

These examples will help you realize how much faster DSL speeds are than dial-up.  Downloading documents with graphics using a broadband DSL connection would only take between 13 and 52 seconds, depending on your DSL speed, in comparison to the 12 minutes it would take using a dial-up modem.  And downloading a very large program, such as a browser would take between two and nine minutes using DSL, compared to the 120 minutes it would take using a dial-up connection.