ADSL (AT&T)vs. VDSL (Verizon) – the battle between two cable network providers

If you have experienced struggles with getting cable and fiber high-speed internet to your home or office, or getting poor speeds with the internet ISP you are currently using, it can be a frustrating process getting good internet – but you do not need to sweat it, especially when checking out ADSL or VDSL internet.

Through the connection of DSL internet (in the form of VDSL and ADSL), you can achieve higher speeds than what your typical ISP will provide. While plenty of ISPs will use a DSL line that is augmented with fiber, the speeds you get will be much lower if you live in an area that is far off, such as a rural area, and higher speeds when you live in a populated area that has a lot of demand for the service.

What are the differences between ADSL and VDSL?

	ADSL (AT&T) (Winner)	VDSL (Verizon)
Upload Speeds  (on average)	10 Mbps	10 Mbps
Download speeds (on average)	40-50 Mbps	70 Mbps
Average connection speeds	24 Mbps	48 Mbps
	Check here	Check here

ADSL vs. VDSL – How they compare

Speeds

ADSL usually has a hard speed maximum of 50 Mbps because of the copper wire bandwidth. That still means that there are plenty of factors that affect ADSL connection speeds, and not much of these factors are under your control.

If the connection is described as ‘uncapped’, the maximum speed is 10 Mbps. The reason for the low speed is due to the bundling of local connections into one bandwidth pool, which means that you will end up getting less bandwidth because you are competing for the same connection efficiency with other users.On the other hand, a ‘capped’ ADSL connection has stricter limits on the number of connections that are at the same time in a local area, which means you can achieve higher speeds – for instance, reaching a maximum speed of 40 Mbps.

There are several factors that can affect the speeds you achieve from a VDSL connection. These include the environment you are using it in, the type of VDSL, the nature of the connection, the performance capacity of the modem, and your distance from the exchange. For instance, if you use VDSL vectoring, you should expect a speed of about 100 Mbps, although you might experience some caps from your ISP.

On a VDSL connection, the upload speeds can go up to 10 Mbps, while the download speeds can go up to 70 Mbps. Its higher speeds allow for running of a high-bandwidth application, such as YouTube, Skype, and so on.

The VDSL is the better choice here, because it has greater speeds and more efficiency in data transmission compared to the ADSL.

Setup process:

For you to use ADSL, you will require a special modem that is adapted for ADSL connection, and the subscribers need to be near the geographical location of the provider’s central office. The usual distance to get an ADSL connection is 2 to 2.5 miles (3.2 to 4.02 km.). The data rates it supports are usually from a minimum of 1.5 Mbps to a maximum of 9 Mbps when receiving data (downstream rates), and a minimum of 16 Mbps to a maximum of 140 Mbps when sending data (upstream rates).

The copper wire pair and a number of others in the same local area then connect to a DSLAM (digital subscriber line access multiplexer). The ADSL modem will receive and transmit data from and to the DSLAM, through using frequencies that differentiate potential calls from digital data that is moving on the same phone line at the same time. The exchange will split the signals and switch them to different networking technologies as the data moves, which helps you connect to the web server or telephone at the other end.

VDSL operates in the same way that ADSL does, through using existing telephone copper infrastructure to deliver internet connections. There are different kinds of VDSL that use a variety of technologies to increase the speeds, which include pair bonding and VDSL vectoring. Not all modems will support the same standards, so you will need a VDSM modem that is fully-capable in order to use it, or make sure you get one from your ISP.

We like the simplicity of the VDSL setup, but its lack of availability makes us choose the ADSL as the better option – especially if you operate close to the ISP’s offices.

ADSL vs. VDSL – A comparison review

ADSL – Overview

ADSL internet is basically considered as the ‘default’ internet connection type, which you will always get when you sign up for an ISP internet connection. While you may get a strong cable connection as well, at least on the offers – this option only applies if you are lucky enough to get it. You will still need to get a good connection from your ISP, and that means that you might need to be willing enough to shop around for the best options you can get.

An acronym for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, it is a type of DSL broadband that you use to connect to the internet. It lets you send more data over the existing POTS (copper telephone lines) when comparing it to traditional modern lines. For ADSL to allow for regular telephone/voice services at the same time, a special filter called a micro filter needs to be installed in the system as well.

At the end of the day, ADSL internet will work if you lack fiber internet access, or if fiber connections are very expensive, as it is fast enough to handle a variety of internet functions.

Pros

• It offers high connection speeds
• Offers good value for money because you will not need extra wiring
• It can handle both phone and internet connections simultaneously
• Can use the current infrastructure you already have
• Offers greater capacity to handle downloads as opposed to uploads

Cons

• Works better if you live or operate close to the central office of the ISP
• Presents a greater download than upload speed
• Line testing activities take a long time
• Speeds reduce considerably if many people are using the network

VDSL – Overview

VDSL is an acronym for ‘Very High-bit rate Digital Subscriber’, and it allows for ISPs to give users high-speed connections through legacy copper lines with the aim to provide fast services across shorter distances. In fact, it is twice as fast as ADSL, though it is similar to the ADSL connection because its speed depends on the cable length from your home to the network equipment.

Similar to ADSL, VDSL is asymmetric, which means that the download speeds are higher than upload speeds, but the difference between the two is that VDSL offers a faster connection that is more stable compared to other copper-based services. This has led many ISPs to replace the ADSL connection mode with VDSL, as companies continue to implement FTTN (Fiber to the Neighborhood) instead of purely copper lines that terminate at your home.

Pros

• Has higher speeds overall compared to ADSL
• Allows you to run high-bandwidth applications with little lag

Cons

• Its availability is not as much as ADSL
• Tends to struggle with signal losses

Verdict: So what is better? The ADSL or VDSL?

When examining both of these options, we find that the ADSL is the better choice. This is because of its greater availability (as compared to the VDSL), the high connection speeds it offers, and its ability to use the infrastructure you already use. Since it does not need additional wiring either, you are getting good value for money if you decide to use it – as it can rely on the telephone wiring you already use.