Either is vastly more satisfactory than a regular modem, and if I had no choice and had to take one or the other, I would still consider myself very fortunate, no matter which one I had. The speed is nice, but more than that, I have come to rely on the always-on connection. There are no busy signals, no delays in getting online, no screeching, beep-boop modem sounds and no interruptions if I stay idle longer than the service provider thinks is necessary. Despite cable s theoretical speed advantage, the actual performances of cable and DSL are comparable. Therefore, the determinants come down to price and, to a lesser extent, to security, the choice of ISP and reliability.
Performance is steady and reliable.
From the start, the phone company has been easier to deal with than my cable company, although both could improve their customer service skills. Naturally, many people have drawn exactly the opposite conclusion. They found their local phone company impossible to deal with and had no trouble with cable. It all depends on the skills and temperament of the local service providers. The best tactic, as always, is to ask neighbors and friends who have local broadband access about their experiences.