DSL or Cable?

If you’re a small business, or a larger business with multiple small business sized locations, DSL and cable internet can be good options.

Cable and DSL are two low priced solutions.  They’re typically between $50 and $100 a month and provide speeds as high as 20 to 40 Mbps.  Factor in the cost of business phone lines at an average of $40 a month per line, a business with 6 lines and internet will spend around $300 a month.

The average six line integrated T1 costs $400 a month, so DSL/cable with phone lines is a less expensive solution.

If cable and DSL are less expensive and the bandwidth is greater, why would a business consider anything else?

Here are a number of items to consider:

• If your DSL or cable service goes down, the time frame for a repair tech visit is by next day.  If you have an integrated T1, the technician should arrive within 4 hours.  Can your business be without internet access for 24 hours?
• Cable and DSL are oversubscribed, meaning the total amount of bandwidth sold in a given area is much higher than the bandwidth supplied.  This is because phone and cable companies figure that only a percentage of subscribers will utilize the service at any given time.
• When you have cable and DSL, you’re not just sharing the bandwidth with neighboring businesses but with all the nearby homes as well.
• If your business grows and you need more business lines, the incremental cost of DSL/cable with phone lines will increase.  Integrated T1’s utilize voice over IP technology to offer more included lines and become more economical as your business and need for service increases.
• If you have multiple locations, spread out across a large geographical area, calls between your sites on standard business lines are toll calls.  If you purchase integrated T1s from the same provider, those calls are “on net” and toll free.
• DSL and cable have limited availability.  If you have the service and you move, the services might not be available at your new location.  If they’re not, your service provider might not let you out of your contract.
• Due to issues with latency and jitter, it’s difficult to deliver voice over IP on DSL and cable.

There are many things to consider before you purchase DSL or cable.  The best thing to do is to contact a telecom consultant or agency.  Consultants and agents offer many different services, from many different providers.  They’re experts in their field and can help you determine what service is the best fit for your organization.

CarrierBid takes it a step further.  We’ll help you determine the best service, find you the best price and we don’t charge a fee.

 If you would like to receive more information regarding CarrierBid telecom consulting services, please complete the form on the right side of this page.