How Fast is 768 DSL?
By John Wu
768 DSL means a DSL line runs at the speed of 768 kbps (kilobits per second). According to the FCC, 768 kbps DSL is still considered broadband Internet, but it is the slowest offering of nearly all broadband Internet providers. For the most part, 768 kbps is viable as a broadband Internet speed.
Definition
There are 10 bits per byte of data. With 768 kilobits, the theoretical maximum transfer rate is 76.8 kilobytes of data per second over 768 kbps DSL. The actual data transfer rate will be less due to overhead from networking protocols.
Online Videos
Youtube requires a minimum speed of 500 kbps. Two computers cannot watch youtube concurrently without viewing problems on 768 kbps DSL.
Online Gaming
Most online games run adequately on 768 kbps DSL; however, additional concurrent traffic may lead to poor performance in the game.
Download Time
According to the T1 shopper file transfer calculator, 1 gigabyte will take approximately 3 hours and 6 minutes on a 768 kbps link.
Considerations
Because 768 kbps DSL is difficult to use with two concurrent computers, it is advisable to upgrade broadband speed unless 768 kbps DSL will be used by one person at a time.
Writer Bio
John Wu is a writer who has covered computers, health, fitness and business since 2008 for various online publications. He is also an IT manager at a government agency. Wu holds a B.A. in legal studies from University of California, Berkeley and a B.S. in computer science from San Jose State University.