Frequently Asked Question #33:
Q: How available are ADSL and ISDN in Italy?
A: ISDN is available throughout Italy. As in other countries, it is easy to combine two data channels to get a combined data throughput of 128 Kbits/sec, even from the free ISP (Internet Service Provider) services for which you pay only the cost of the call. For a free Italian internet service provider, see our internet FAQ.
ADSL is widely available in the cities and towns, and is becoming increasingly available in rural areas. For availability of ADSL in specific areas, try this ADSL finder at http://tin.alice.it/naviga/copertura.aspx. You need to put in a phone number - if you don't have one, just put in the number of somewhere nearby - to find out if you can get ADSL. Alternatively, you can insert the name of the comune (town or village) where the phone is located. Be warned, though, that the database behind that website is rather out of date: many rural areas with 640 Kbits/sec ADSL (thanks to an initiative called the Anti Digital Divide) don't appear in it. For an up-to-date snapshot of 640 Kbits/sec availability under the Anti Digital Divide program, visit the website http://www.antidigitaldivide.org and follow the link "MAPPATURA DELLA BANDA LARGA IN ITALIA" (broadband coverage in Italy). Enter first the regione, then the provincia, and then the comune - the resulting lista frazioni/quartieri già inseriti (list of areas already covered) appears to be up-to-date.
Whatever ADSL supplier you choose, ADSL2 equipment is normally installed at the customer end, ready for higher speed access - up to 8 Mbits/sec - if this is available at your local telephone exchange. Under the plan currently being implemented, all of Piedmont is scheduled to have at least 2 Mbits/sec by the end of 2008.
If you are in a rural area of Italy where ADSL is unavailable, but you must have broadband internet, there's only one option: broadband via satellite. In Italy this service is provided by Satlink - download their European service brochure here. Prices (in December 2005) start from Euro 149 + VAT per month for a 512 kbit/sec downlink, a 256 kbit/sec uplink and a 35:1 contention ratio. The data is sent both ways by satellite, so you don't even need to have a phone to use this service - all you need is a PC with an Ethernet interface.
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