Compare ADSL and Fiber connection speeds

Compare the internet connection provided by the ADSL and Fiber connection providers to find the fastest one

When we activate a new connection it is very important to understand which operator can guarantee us the best Internet line for the home, especially since this does not only vary according to the operator but also according to the area in which you live.

It is one thing to live in the center of Rome, where the fiber optic coverage and proximity to the control unit should guarantee the excellent speed with any telephone operator, another thing is to live in a small town or in the suburbs, where perhaps the control unit it is very old and where no investments are made to make the network faster.

So how to understand, briefly, which operator offers (under the same network conditions) the best line for users? In this guide, we will see how to compare ADSL and Fiber connection speeds, so as to be able to choose the new operator or a possible passage with the right knowledge of the facts.

Compare ADSL and Fiber connection speeds

1) Connection technologies

First, we should understand the difference between the connection technologies that can be exploited to get the Internet at home; we have talked about them in many guides, but we can briefly summarize them in a compact list:

• ADSL: currently the slowest technology but also the most widespread, with a maximum speed of 20 Mbps (although in many homes it barely reaches 5 Mbps ). If possible, we must avoid this type of connection, because it is always saturated and subject to sudden drops in performance.
• FTTC (or VDSL): the first interesting technology from the point of view of performance is the FTTC, which brings the optical fiber to the nearest cabinet and distributes the signal with the classic copper cable at the homes. This is the right compromise between speed and practicality (since no work inside the house is required), in fact, it is spreading visibly in many Italian cities. It offers speeds above 30 Mbps in almost all circumstances, with very interesting peaks in well-covered cities (even reaching 200 Mbps ).
• eVDSL: evolution of the traditional FTTC, which brings the connection speed up to 300 Megabits per second while keeping the last part of the connection in copper. This technology could make a real difference in more remote areas but is not properly supported by operators, who tend to offer it in areas where there is already FTTH coverage.
• FTTH: the best connection technology, which brings optical fiber into the home. In order to take advantage of it, there must be a compatible cabinet in the area and we will have to make changes to the home socket. The result is amazing: we can navigate at a minimum of 1000 Megabits per second, but in some cities, we also travel at 2.5 Gigabits per second (Fastweb and Vodafone) or 10 Gigabits per second (TIM).
• Wireless: some operators, such as EOLO and Linkem, provide Internet connectivity via a wireless connection over long distances, that is, dedicated frequencies are used to get the Internet signal home as if it were a television signal (therefore we will need an external antenna to receive the signal).