Satellite: Burst Downloads

• Data transferred over a satellite Internet connection must travel into orbit and back again. The minimum time for this is about half a second, or 500 milliseconds (ms). As a result, satellite Internet providers must transfer far more data with each packet (unit of data) submission, and actual download speeds vary.
  
  

DSL: Steady Flow

• DSL creates a steady flow of data from the Internet to the phone company's office or routing station to your computer and back again, usually providing speeds anywhere from 1 to 7 Mbps.
  
  

Satellite Speeds

• Because of the nature of satellite connections, speeds will also vary depending on a number of factors, including network traffic (unlike DSL, satellite connection bandwidth is shared amongst subscribers), weather, registry and network settings of the computer, as well as how much bandwidth you used in the past (due to fair access policies, which most satellite providers set into place to limit user bandwidth). Even in ideal conditions, most satellite connections will still be slower than DSL (in the 1 to 3 Mbps range).
  
  

DSL Speeds

• Most DSL connections, especially those above 3 Mbps and those closer to a phone company office or routing station, are almost always going to be faster than satellite because their available bandwidth is higher than that of satellite.
  
  

The Rural Provider

• Satellite Internet is, more or less, a contingency plan for rural subscribers who don't have access to other broadband options. If DSL is available to you, rest assured that it is almost always the superior choice.