ADSL is fast becoming the standard method of broadband Internet access, with its growth far outstripping that of cable. However, there are some downsides to DSL that you should be aware of.

The first downside is that ADSL pricing can be very variable – not just between ISPs, but within the same ISP in different areas. This is because most ISPs have only installed their own equipment in a limited number of local exchanges, and are continuing to resell wholesale services for others. This can often double ISPs’ advertised prices! Unless you realise what’s going on, the situation can be very confusing, and ISPs make little effort to explain it to their customers.

If you’re a long way away from the telephone exchange, the speed of your ADSL connection may suffer, as ADSL is very affected by physical distance. The further it has to travel, the weaker it gets. This fact makes ADSL very unsuitable for use in rural areas, where it often isn’t available.

ADSL is also affected by how many other people are using your line. In a busy area, at peak times, there may be noticeable slowdown, especially if your neighbours also have ADSL and you are both have top-speed connections.

A downside with ADSL specifically, compared to other forms of DSL, is that ADSL downloads much faster than it uploads. If you frequently send files to people, or you want to host a website over your connection, this can be a big disadvantage, as you will be required to upgrade to the more expensive business services to get a decent upload speed.

Another disadvantage of ADSL is that you must have a traditional phone line, meaning that you can’t take advantage of cheaper cable phone lines or internet telephony instead. This can be a relatively large fixed cost each month, often making cable a more economic choice when it comes to looking at phone service, TV and internet access together as a package.