Ask Our Expert

Cable Vs ADSL

Dear Michael, I currently have an ADSL connection on an “up to 8Mb” package but at times my speeds are appalling. My provider says this is caused by “contention,” “poor telephone line capability” and “general internet congestion”.

So I thought, surely switching to cable - Virgin Media - would get rid of all these bottlenecks, as the cable network is newer than the old copper phone lines and it’s not related to how far you live from the telephone exchange.

However, having read various customer reviews of Virgin Media, it seems to be just as bad as ADSL. Why is this - given that cable is relatively new service?

Is cable really no better than ADSL?

Appreciate any advice you can give.

Paul Dickinson, via email

Our Broadband Expert says...

The speed test results from our new Speed Tester software now records the speeds or cable connections versus those of ADSL connections, and overall, cable does come out on top with 31 per cent of customers receiving at least three quarters of their promised speed compared to only seven per cent of total ADSL customers.

However, this doesn’t mean that someone on an “up to 20Mb” connection from Virgin Media will necessarily regularly get a speed that fast.

Cable is still affected by contention - so up to 49 other people could still be connected to the same cable at any one time. Also, Virgin Media doesn’t run fibre optic cables right into your home - so there will be speed degradation between where the cable ends and where older wires deliver the broadband to your home. Finally, you might face some traffic shaping if you’re downloading a lot during peak times.

There are ways of improving your speed without switching to ADSL though, simply taking the issue up with your existing supplier, to making sure you always connect with an ethernet cable, or switching to a high-speed broadband provider like Be.

If you are worried about switching away from the BT network just make sure that you look for an ADSL provider with a good reputation for speed, and a good customer service record.

Cable Vs ADSL comparison

Supplier	Speed (up to)	Usage limit	Contract length	Monthly charge	One off costs	Line Rental
Option 1 Broadband (18 months)	20Mb	10GB	18 months	£7.99 for 3 months	Free	£138.48	Call BT on 0800 028 2122
Broadband: L	10Mb	unlimited	12 months	£15.00 for 3 months	£35.00	£0.00