The technologies available to connect to the internet from a fixed network are multiplying.
Those who still cannot access FTTH optical fiber can count on the classic ADSL , for example , which remains the most popular solution for surfing from home, with the best coverage on the national territory.
But there are also those who connect with VDSL or EVDSL, which offer better performance than traditional broadband at an even lower cost.
The latest SOStariffe.it survey compared them, comparing their respective costs, characteristics, strengths and weaknesses.
ADSL: wide coverage but low speed
ADSL technology, in technical jargon Asymmetric DSL, is the basic broadband. The signal runs as usual on the copper infrastructure and still enters many houses.
But always at a low average speed for today , which reaches a maximum of 20 Mb / s in download and 1 Mb / s in upload. The data derive from the surveys, conducted in May 2020 by SOStariffe.it on the basis of its internet home offer comparator .
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The average monthly cost for a home broadband connection is around 29.10 euros . However, most Italians still sail today using this technology.
Agcom data in fact refer to a wide diffusion on the national territory (47.20% of the total active lines), with a coverage of homes equal to 99.40%. Although this percentage, to tell the truth, also includes FTTH fiber connections (based on data detected by TIM).
What are the peculiarities of this technology?
On the one hand, we have coverage of almost the entire boot, which allows us to connect without limits both to browse but also to download files and for streaming in SD quality, or with standard definition. On the other hand, it must be considered that the actual performances are lower than the declared nominal values. It may not be the best solution if for example we have a smart TV and want to enjoy a movie or a TV series in high definition streaming (in HD).
Furthermore, latency times are often high : in simple terms it means that the signal responds late and this affects above all online games and video calls, increasingly indispensable due to the new needs dictated by the Covid 19 pandemic.
VDSL: cheap but with still partial coverage
VDSL stands for Very high bit rate DSL: as the name implies, it is a technology capable of reaching very high speeds.
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Its fiber optic infrastructure reaches up to the street closet, while the last stretch between the closet and the apartment reached by the line remains in copper. Therefore it is also referred to as copper mixed fiber. Its performance is much higher than ADSL: it reaches 100 Mb / s in download and 20 Mb / s in upload.
The average cost to use them is lower in broadband: about 28.13 euros per month. This is clearly a technology with a lower diffusion than traditional ADSL, equal to 39.70% of a total of active lines, according to Agcom. It covers 80.70% of homes.
Wanting to highlight the merits, the performance is very high and this makes it suitable for streaming in high definition. It is also a more performing technology and at the same time accessible at a lower cost when compared with traditional ADSL. However, it has three shortcomings: the coverage is not total. Several territories are still not reached by the VDSL. Another drawback: the performance is reduced as the distance from the street closet increases, with a significant loss of quality as you move away. It is also not suitable for multiple HD streams.
EVDSL: super performance, but you need a suitable modem
EVDSL (Enhanced VDSL) is a technology that allows ultra-broadband connectivity with FTTC optical fiber, in which the fiber reaches the street cabinet, while the last stretch up to the homes consists of a copper cable. The performances are very high: up to 200 Mb / s in download and 20 Mb / s instead in upload, at an average monthly price equal to that of VDSL : that is 28.13 euros every four weeks. Diffusion and coverage are also completely identical.
So what distinguishes this technology from the other two examined so far? The performances are certainly the best. EVDSL is very performing and is the best alternative to FTTH, the fastest optical fiber. Allows multiple simultaneous streams in high definition. Unfortunately, however, it has in common with the VDSL a still reduced coverage on the national territory. Also in this case the performances are affected by the distance from the street cabinet: the further you get from the cabinet, the worse it is. Furthermore, not all modems allow you to surf using EVDSL. A compatible router is required , although there are now several models on the market.
A comparator is essential to evaluate the offers
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To see agliare carefully all the potential of the various ADSL charges and optical fiber on the market, we can use the comparison tool to SOStariffe.it https://www.sostariffe.it/ internet-home / . In addition, thanks to the SOStariffe.it App, which can be downloaded for free from the iOS and Android store, we can receive savings tips tailored for us by the comparator experts, only by photographing the bill and sending the data. An expert from SOStariffe.it will contact us to propose an ad hoc saving solution: https://www.sostariffe.it/app/
