Looking for bandwidth? That can be a daunting and frustrating task even in the best of situations. There's lots to consider in order to make the right decision for your needs. Below you'll find some help when evaluating ADSL vs SDSL. Factors covered include Technology, Speed, Description, Application, Pros, Cons, and Costs.

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Technology: ADSL

Speed: 768Kbps to 6.1 Mbps downstream. Upstream speeds range from 64Kbps-1Mbps.

Description: The most common type of DSL. Deployed over a copper wire pair in conjunction with an analog phone line.

Application: Commercial and consumer Internet service. Popular with consumers because of low-cost, short provisioning times and high download speeds.

Pros: High-speed access at a relatively low-cost. Availability is approaching 70% in most major metropolitan areas. Installation times are often less than 30days.

Cons: Not available in all areas. Slow upload speed. Bandwidth is aggregated at the Central Office and is subject to oversubscription. Not ideal for businesses or heavy users.

Costs: Consumer services starts at around $30-50. But....the pricing for these connections varies widely depending on the carrier and location of service. For example...it's likely to be more costly in rural areas and some local/regional providers may offer better rates than Tier 1 carriers.

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Technology: SDSL

Speed: Up to 2.3Mbps both ways.

Description: A form of HDSL, provisioned over a single twisted-pair of copper wire at distances up to 12,000 feet.

Application: Ideal for businesses due to symmetrical data transmission speeds and advanced features such as multiple IP addresses.

Pros: High-speed access at a low-cost when compared to T-1. Often provides more features than ADSL.

Cons: Not available in all areas. Bandwidth is aggregated at the Central Office and is subject to oversubscription. More costly and longer install times than ADSL.

Costs: Business service starts at around $50-80 and can be as high as a few $100 monthly. But....the pricing for these connections varies widely depending on the carrier, location of service, and the application for which the connection is being used. For example...it's likely to be much more costly in rural areas. While some local/regional providers may offer better rates than Tier 1 carriers...you'll have to consider possible tradeoffs in stability and reliabilty.