Cable Broadband vs ADSL Broadband

ADSL and cable broadband technologies are the two main broadband provision standards running in the United Kingdom today. Both the technologies have gained the popularity they enjoy presently through the delivery of high connection speeds that is essential today for the very economic growth of the country.

ADSL or asymmetric digital subscriber line standard is as of today, the most popular broadband UK internet service in the United Kingdom. The main advantage of this service type over its closest rival the cable broadband is its comparatively low prices accentuated by regular attrition of prices due to fierce competition in the relevant market.

The terminology ‘asymmetric’ in the abbreviation ‘ADSL’ refers to a peculiar functioning mode of this broadband connections marked by higher download rates against lower upload rates. A mighty disappointment with ADSL is that it is quiet sensitive to distance, since its using telephone lines to transmit data.

On the other hand, cable broadband ensures strong data transmission over considerably longer distances by using reflective glass fibres in the cable. A thin coating of plastic is applied on every fibre optic strand in the cable at the time of its making itself to provide these strands with a mirror effect. This explains the supremacy of fibre cables over copper ADSL lines in the context of distance sensitivity.

Another benefit found with the cable broadband service is its allowing the customers to have internet, television and telephone services over the same connection. However, this advantage has been, to an extent dissipated by the fact that cable enjoys far less coverage in the country compared to ADSL.

Finally, but never the least of things, the advantage of higher connection speeds too sides the cable broadband connection. It is pretty noteworthy here that today ISPs using cable for providing broadband connection are offering speeds of even up to 50Mbps (Virgin Media’s premium package offer). On the other side ADSL providers have in offering speeds of up to 20Mbps.