Operation and advantages of broadband technology

How broadband works

With the term "broadband" we refer to the use of telecommunications means and systems that exploit a greater bandwidth compared to previous narrowband means. This technology has made it possible to transmit, send and receive data more efficiently, opening the door to faster Internet connections and a wider range of services. Broadband connections can be provided through several technologies, including DSL, cable, wireless connections and fiber optics. In any case, the basic principle is to transport digital data at high speed through a transmission medium. This technological leap has made old narrowband systems obsolete, opening up new opportunities and improving our digital experience.

Advantages of Broadband

One of the distinctive characteristics of broadband is its connection speed. Broadband connections offer significantly faster speeds than dial-up or narrowband connections, allowing you to download files, stream videos, and browse the web quickly and efficiently. Broadband performance can be influenced by some factors such as the distance between the exchange and the reception location: the closer we get, the faster ADSL is. Normally the download is between 70 and 20 megabytes per second, while an FTTC optical fibre, mixed with copper, allows you to navigate at up to 300 Mbps in download and 20 Mbps in upload.

Since March 2015, Italy has been determinedly implementing a strategic plan for the diffusion of ultra-broadband. This initiative involves the opening of 2600 construction sites and 600 interventions aimed at creating infrastructures for ultra-broadband. The clear objective is to allow at least 85% of the population to enjoy connections with a download speed of between 30 and 100 Mbps.

Differences between fiber optics and broadband

The term broadband is used to indicate a high-speed internet connection which is exploited by all those technologies, including optical fibre, which are able to transmit and receive information data at a above 2Mbit/s. The broadband connection is able to send several signals simultaneously using the copper cable of the telephone line, as in the case of FTTC fiber. FTTC technology has a network architecture that involves the use of a copper ADSL cable and a fiber optic cable. The copper ADSL cable connects the user's modem to the street cabinet closest to the house, from the cabinet to the exchange the signal is transmitted via the fiber optic cable. As we explained in the in-depth study on mixed FTTC fiber, its performance depends from the distance between the street cabinet and the user's home, the greater the distance, the higher the data dispersion.

Although FTTC Fibrehas a copper network section, it can be classified together with FTTH Fibre as an ultra-broadband technology. This term indicates all types of connections that have an effective download speed of at least 30 Mb/s and reaches or exceeds Gb/s. The Enel Naviga Smart fiber offer by Enel Energia, in FTTC technology, mixed with copper, in fact allows you to navigate at up to 300 Mbps in download and 20 Mbps in upload. The term ultra-broadband is often used in association with that of FTTH fibre, commonly defined as "pure" fibre, as it consists entirely of optical fiber cables. To date it can be considered the best type of connection in terms of download and upload speed, thanks to its stability and speed.

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