The differences between fiber optics and DSL technologies

There are three main options for an internet connection system for your home or business. One is to course online connection through the lines of your cable TV provider, the second is via DSL, and the last is through the newer technology called fiber optics. Though these three offer distinct data transfer methods, DSL and fiber optics are the most popular options.

DSL refers to Digital Subscriber Line and uses telephone lines to connect to the internet and transfer data across distances. The more technical term for it is ADSL or Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. ADSL connections travel through the higher frequency bands of the same landlines used for making voice calls. They don’t impede the latter because of an installed filter.

Typical data transfer speeds range from 256 Kbps to 100 Mbps for DSL connections, varying according to the line condition, technological infrastructure, and service provided in a given area of the world. Home connections usually stop at 800 Mbps because in DSL, the amount of data sent from client to server is lower than the downstream (thus the term asymmetrical). Symmetric rates of upload and download via SDSL connections are less popular, as people still prefer faster downloads than uploads. At the moment, over 364 million people are subscribed to DSL globally.

Fiber optics is the newer option for future Gigabit transfers, as data is transmitted through a thin glass fiber wire and via light signals (optic). Light is transmitted from both ends of the fiber for much higher bandwidth than can be offered by the copper wires of DSL. Fiber lines provide significantly faster and more reliable performance but are more expensive and difficult to install, given the insufficiency of existing infrastructure.

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