Communications Policy and Regulation Division

CONTACT INFORMATION: Open during regular business hours 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday
703-324-5902 TTY 711
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 433
Fairfax, VA 22035
Rick Ellrod
Director

Data Transmission Speed Comparison

When deciding which technology to embrace, one of the considerations is transmission speed. In today’s fast-paced world, speed counts. And while it does cost more for faster speed, in the world of data transmission, you get what you pay for.

Fastest
  • Fiber optic cable
  • Coaxial cable (Cable modem)
  • DSL
Slowest
  • 56k Dial-up

NOTE: Fiber optic cable has the largest capacity, followed by coaxial cable, and in many cases DSL. Broadband wireless and Wi-Fi wireless (802.11g) speeds are dependant on the system that is used to carry the data transmissions to and from the access point(s).

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