Windstream Communications: Broadband, Phone, Digital TV
What is DSL, or digital subscriber line service? For most homeowners, purchasing High-speed Internet involves choosing between two ways of receiving service: via a cable connection or through DSL. Though both deliver high quality High-speed Internet connectivity, there are some important differences between them.
To order Windstream High-speed Internet and get High-speed Internet service for your home, learn more about our Broadband Plans.
Cable and DSL service provide connection speeds that are roughly equivalent to one another. Windstream High-speed Internet service is available at speeds up to 12 megabits per second (Mbps), which matches closely with the highest speeds that cable Internet service can deliver for most major Internet service providers.
The difference in speed between the two services depends on circumstances in your local area. If you are a DSL subscriber, you have what is known as a dedicated connection to your Internet service provider. Because the only users connected to your line are you and your ISP, the speed of your Internet connection depends in part on the distance between your home and the nearest office of your Internet service provider.
Cable subscribers, on the other hand, are usually networked together within the same neighborhood or local area. The speed of a cable Internet connection depends on how many people in your neighborhood are also connected to the Internet via the same cable source. The more people who share the same cable Internet connection network—and simultaneously send or download large amounts of information—the slower your connection can become.
Because Windstream High-speed Internet service is available for lower monthly access rates than most major cable Internet providers offer, our DSL service gives you all the speed you need at a much better price than cable. And because it's easy to set up with our simple, step-by-step installation process, you can get online with a High-speed connection right away.
All Windstream customers who sign up for High-speed Internet receive their service via DSL using their existing phone lines. Subscribers connect their computers to the Internet with a DSL modem, which maintains an uninterrupted digital connection that is active whenever their systems are in use. There's no need for additional wiring or cable to be installed when you subscribe to DSL - your Internet service is delivered over phone lines you already have in your home, without interfering with your voice phone service.
Cable Internet is delivered via a coaxial cable connection, the same cable that is used to deliver cable television service. Like DSL, cable subscribers use a special modem to connect their computers to the Internet, and their connection is also continuous whenever their computers are in use.
To order Windstream High-speed Internet and get High-speed Internet service for your home, learn more about our Broadband Plans.
