"...DSL is far slower than cable. I also know that the farther away from the origin point of transmission the speed gets slower. I don't know about being transmitted via satellite, but I don't want slower downloads. I have been told that the best DSL can do compared to cable is about 7-10 times slower...."

As noted, DSL is NOT far slower than cable. It depends upon where you are. In my case, things can be snapping along, and suddenly crawl or stop, as someone else in my neighborhood starts using their cable internet connection. And I don't believe cable ever gets 10 times faster. Not remotely, not even in a burst. On the whole, I was happier with DSL than I am with cable. YMMV.

The sites you access are likely the big speed limiter for your service, anyway. Faster connections at your end do not always mean you get anything any faster.

I can't get DSL where I'm at. Too far to the CO. But I'm hearing good news about Fios- might get that going in a few months. It varies by the technology used, but DSL generally will be offered up to around 13,000 feet from the CO.

Satellite, such as WildBlue, can be reasonably fast on the download, but some have posted that they also suffer from slower speeds as more go online. They may be oversubscribed. And they have rather low download limits, plus high latency. They're really for rural areas where there are no other choices. Dish is not offering "DSL via satellite" they're offering "DSL via local telco."