well cox communications screwed us over big time and they lost our business. If DSL is really that bad we'll go back to cable. but I doubt it, it says 6MB.
Don't concern yourself so much about the advertised speeds. they are regulated about as good as max power ratings on an amp.
For gaming you should be more concerned about PING. On cable systems PING is consistent across the whole network. On DSL PING fluctuates depending on how far from the nearest station you are. DSL is more susceptible to noise in the line due to the non-shielded nature of the telephone lines. Noise raises ping as well.
Speed is just that. It's how fast data flows once initiated and communicated. It doesn't say anything about how long it take to complete the communication request.
Think of it like acceleration and top speed on cars. A car can have the ability to reach 150MPH, but some cars will get to that speed in 20 seconds and some will need the whole day to achieve it.
This isn't to say that DSL won't work for you. It is worth a shot if COX has screwed you over. You may be lucky and have a really good updated phone infrastructure in your area and be close to a station. If that is the case, you won't notice difference between them. I do find just the opposite to be the case most of the time, so don't get your hopes up. There is a reason real gamers prefer cable over DSL.
With regular surfing, downloading, and email you won't notice any difference whatsoever though. Only with gaming because information is changing so rapidly in it. This communication needs to be fast.