Conclusion - Which Service and Modem Is For You?

When deciding on the correct service and modem for you, take the following items into account.

Speed - The clear choice here is fiber optic. None of the other services can even come close to the 30 Mbps throughput of fiber optic. Coming in second is cable, with a top end of around 10 Mbps at an average home installation.

Availability - This is going to vary a lot depending on where you live. However, in most urban locations, this is going to be a tie between cable and DSL. Fiber optic is slowly becoming more widely available, but it will be a number of years before it can match the other two.

Cost - DSL easily comes in at the lowest cost. With plans that start at $13.95 in some areas, the other two just don't come close to it. Cable comes in second at around $39 on the low end, with fiber optic starting at $49. All costs are per month.

Selecting the best service will probably be a combination of the above factors. Do you want speed? Is cost an issue? What are you planning to do with the service? If you tend to move a lot of data, such as downloading movies or internet gaming, you may want to look at cable or fiber optic. However, if you do the occasional web browsing, with email and the occasional download, the DSL will probably be the best fit for you.

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