Following last week's first installment, we continue with our series on the myths and misconceptions about cable's high-speed Internet vs. DSL.

Myth 3:
Fiber is the latest and greatest technology for accessing the Internet.

Fact:
Simply running a strand of fiber to your house hardly constitutes a robust service offering. There has been a lot of buzz about fiber networks recently. But did you know that Cox has used fiber in its network since 1988? By placing fiber to the home (FTTH), the phone company is hoping to deliver the same three services – video, phone and Internet – that cable companies like Cox have delivered for years. Still, there's more to it than just a strand of fiber.

The cable companies use a proven technology that is readily available. Conversely, FTTH is a new, unproven service that will likely not be available to the majority of consumers for a long time. The FTTH technology also requires CAT-5 wiring, which means many customers will need to pay for their homes to be completely rewired. However, Cox High Speed Internet transfers data over Cox’s existing broadband network – no additional wiring is required.

But let’s say FTTH technology is available in your neighborhood and you’ve paid someone to install CAT-5 wiring in your home. Are you guaranteed to like the service? The FTTH service contracts often require a 12-month contract complete with early termination fees.

On the other hand, Cox has years of experience providing high-quality services with no annual contracts. In fact, Cox’s high-speed Internet service ranked the highest in overall customer satisfaction in the nation according to the J.D. Power and Associates’ 2005 Internet Service Provider Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.

Myth 4:Cable technology is becoming outdated.

Fact:
Cable’s broadband infrastructure has a great future in store. Cox Communications – and most cable providers -- are currently using the DOCSIS 1.1 standard for high-speed Internet, which is technically capable of offering blazing download speeds up to over 30 Mbps per channel. DOCSIS is an evolving standard, and Cox plans to implement future versions on its network to meet even higher speed demands and enable robust features.

How does this compare to DSL? DSL technology is still delivered over the old copper, twisted-pair wiring used for plain old telephone service. DSL was created to squeeze more speed and capacity out of this existing wiring system, which was designed for low-speed, low-capacity voice communications. Much of this wiring may have been installed decades ago. And best of all, our cable network can deliver high-speed, high-capacity video, voice and Internet services to homes and businesses without relying on the local telephone network.