High speed Internet access via Cable Modem is frequently viewed as competing with DSL for the first wave of high bandwidth users. This competition is largely an illusion. Very few customers in the United States currently have both available. Furthermore, while the Cable Modem approach is designed for residential customers, DSL is designed from the ground up to address the reliability and security requirements of business customers. Several areas are worth considering.
Cable has some inherent problems in functioning as a two way network for business.
The system was designed to distribute source material from a single location to residential users throughout the network. Cable lines are not available in commercial districts. Because the entire network was built for residential service, few offices or business centers are equipped with cable. This means that business who wish to install cable modems frequently cannot and that those who can face cost in the 3 to 5,000 dollar range, excluding equipment. This is in the T1 setup range and clearly more than the modest DSL setup cost.