There are two speeds available fo DSL: 1(something) and 3 (something). What should I consider in making this decision?
Great Question!
For those of you interested in signing up for Verizon DSL, or any other DSL service, it is important to know what these numbers mean. There are two options that Verizon offers for DSL Speed, 1mbps and 3mbps. MBPS stands for MegaBytes Per Second. This refers to the amount of information that can be sent to your computer per second. So what does all that mean?
If you use the Internet for email, surfing the web, research, reading the newspaper, blogging, etc., you won't notice much of a difference between the two speeds. The only time you will notice the difference is if you are trying to watch movies online or upload large files onto the internet. With the faster speed, this will take less time. However, DSL at its lowest speed is sufficient and the time difference is really only a matter of seconds not minutes or hours.
You will notice a difference between Cable and DSL because the average Cable speed is 10mbps. But you won't really notice too much difference between 1mbps and 3mbps. The OATS office is run on a DSL line and we use 3mbps. We stream videos and upload large files without a problem.
One last comment I have is for you is that Verizon promises "up to" 1mbps. Once you get the service, you should use their online speed tester to make sure you are getting the right speed. See the link below.