Internet connections explained – everything about DSL, fiber optics and co.
What’s the difference between a fiber-optic and DSL connection? And what Internet speed do you really need at home? Here, we explain the Internet connections and answer any questions you may have about the Internet and its speeds.
Internet speeds
When choosing the right Internet subscription, you should not only look at the price. The included performance or Internet speed is even more important. It shows you how much data can be transferred per second (under ideal conditions). The speed is measured in Mbit/s. The term Mbit/s stands for megabits per second. However, this is not the smallest data unit, which would be the bit. But a bit is much too small for it to make sense to describe Internet speed. You can compare this with grams and kilograms: For example, you can also specify your body weight in grams, but it makes more sense to do so in kilograms. The same applies to bits and megabits. For an even higher speed, there is also the term GBits/s, where the “G” stands for “Giga”. 1 GBit corresponds to 1,000 MBit/s.
Downloads & Download Rates
A download is the downloading of texts, photos, music, films or other data from the Internet. It is therefore the content that you as a user receive to view or listen to on your laptop, tablet or smartphone, for example. You can actively engage in a download when, for example, you download a piece of music in the form of an MP3 file or a document in the form of a PDF file to your computer. Many downloads from the Internet take place but temporarily, i.e. they are only stored on the computer temporarily; you know this from streaming on YouTube, for example. The download rates offered by Internet providers in Switzerland can be 10 Mbit/s, but also 25Gbit/s. As a rule, the Internet providers advertise the maximum speeds. So, it might happen that you cannot always use the Internet at this speed.
What Internet speed do I need?
Every Internet user has different needs. For example, a speed of 25 Mbit/s may be sufficient for one person, but not for another. The minimum speed you need depends on your type of use. In the following table, we have listed the most common types of use and the recommended Internet speeds for them.
Guidelines for recommended Internet speeds
| Type of use | Recommended Internet speed |
| Occasional surfing:Get SBB timetable, read online articles etc. | 10-30 Mbit/s |
| Streaming:Netflix, Spotify | 50 Mbit/s |
| Home office: video calls, working via VPN | 100 Mbit/s |
| Gaming: Virtual Reality Games | 500 Mbit/s |
Upload Violation
In addition to the download speed, there is also the so-called upload speed. The latter is usually lower, but sometimes just as high as the download speed. The maximum upload speeds offered by Internet providers in Switzerland range between 5 Mbit/s and 25 Gbit/s.
An upload is the uploading of a file. This happens, for example, when you attach a file to an e-mail, a so-called attachment. If you publish your videos on YouTube, you also have to upload them to YouTube first.
How fast is my Internet connection?
To check your current Internet speed, you can run a speed test. There are several of these online, and all you have to do is type speedtest into Google. For example, you can find the Internet speed test from Swisscom. Important: Certain fluctuations are normal, especially with shared Internet connections, but these should not be limiting and make the connection almost unusable. If this is the case, then something is wrong.
What do the numbers tell me?
If you know how fast your Internet connection is, then you can also calculate how long individual tasks take. To do this, you need to know the size of the files to be transferred – whether downloading a movie or sending an e-mail, it doesn’t matter. The files on the computer are specified in bytes and not in bits. 1 byte corresponds to 8 bits. This means that at an Internet speed of 8 MBit/s, you can transfer 1 MByte of data per second. The upload or download of 10 MB (megabyte) takes almost 2 seconds at a speed of 50 Mbps.
Average Internet speed by connection type
| What | Fiberglass | Copper / DSL | Cable | LTE |
| Download | 1 GBit to 25 GBit/s | max. 500 Mbit/s | 50 to 1’000 MBit/s | 4G: up to 300 MBit/s 5G: up to 500 MBit/s |
| Upload | 1 GBit to 25 GBit/s | 5 to 100 MBit/s | 10 to 200 MBit/s | 10 to 50 MBit/s |
Is WLAN and Internet the same thing?
The short answer in advance: No, Internet and WLAN are not the same thing. Nevertheless, these two are often confused with each other. The main reason for this is that both WLAN and Internet lead to the same result for most people.
The term WLAN stands for Wireless Local Area Network. As the name suggests, WLAN allows you to access your network wirelessly. It doesn’t matter which device you use – tablet, smartphone, laptop or smartwatch. The network you access is then the Internet. The Internet actually consists of numerous computer networks that are connected to each other and can thus exchange data with each other.
In summary, the WLAN connects your devices wirelessly to the Internet. You can think of the WLAN as a bridge, where the data to be transmitted are the cars that want to get from one side of the road to the other. If there is too much data at once, it can cause congestion and slow down progress – like when you download a large file from the Internet to your computer, for example.
Internet connection comparison by type of connection
The Internet offers not only have different speeds, but also different Internet connections. First, a distinction is made between fixed-network Internet and mobile Internet. For fixed-network Internet, a further distinction is then made as to which type of line is used. In Switzerland, fiber optic, cable or copper lines (DSL) are used. We present the Internet connections in detail here.
How do I recognize my Internet connection?
If you already have an Internet provider, you can simply check your records or ask the provider about your network technology. However, if you don’t have a provider yet and are looking for the right offer, it’s best to run an Internet availability check online. This checker uses your address to find out which network technologies are available at your location. You can find such a checker on most provider websites. On our alao Home Subscription Finder, you can check which Internet, TV and fixed network subscriptions are available at your address. With alao, you can save up to 60% on home subscriptions and usually never pay the activation costs. Take a look around and find your perfect subscription!
These Internet connections are available
First, a distinction is made between fixed-network Internet and mobile Internet. In the case of fixed-network Internet, a further distinction is made as to the type of line used. In Switzerland, fiber optic, cable, copper lines (DSL) or VDSL are used.
Fiber optic connection
Data transmission in fiber optic lines works by means of light pulses. These lines are made up of several individual glass fibers, which transmit the light signals at the speed of light and over long distances. The fiber optic network in Switzerland is constantly being expanded, but has still not reached every corner of the country. According to the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), however, this is not necessary, as peripheral regions and small communities are adequately supplied with broadband services via cable networks, for example. Broadband refers to Internet access with relatively high data transfer rates. In Switzerland’s major cities, however, fiber optic expansion is already well underway.
Copper connection (DSL)
With a DSL connection, the data streams to and from the Internet run over a copper cable; this is why it is also called a copper connection. DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. It uses the copper cable of the telephone connection, which is already present in most Swiss households. With DSL, you can make phone calls and surf the Internet on the same line. For this reason, however, the transmission speed is limited. This is also related to the length of the copper line between the exchange and you: The further the actual DSL connection is from the nearest exchange, the lower the usable Internet speed.
Cable connection
Whereas with DSL the Internet is obtained via telephone lines, with cable it runs via the so-called TV broadband cable network. Cable networks were actually laid primarily for the use of radio and television, and are based on coaxial technology. This technology can transport data further via the inner and outer conductors, which are insulated from each other, than, for example, via fiber optic technology. In Switzerland, the first cables were laid in the 1930s for the reception of radio programs. As early as the 1950s, television programs could also be received via cable in Switzerland. From the 1990s, it was then possible to receive some Internet via cable in Switzerland.
To note:
Even with a cable connection, the number of users has an influence on the bandwidth, i.e. how fast the Internet is. Why is that? Network operators connect an area with a cable that has a certain diameter. The thicker the cable, the more power it transmits. So when it gets thinner, i.e. the further the distribution goes away from the main line, the less throughput is left. When an area is built with new houses, the line cable is not necessarily replaced. This leads to overuse and lower bandwidths for each individual user. The same can happen with a thicker cable, such as in the evening when more people are using their Internet connection.
Mobile Internet – LTE connection
In addition to fiber-optic, cable and copper (DSL) connections, there is also the option of using mobile Internet. There are also providers who offer this via a special router for the home. Work is currently underway on network expansion in Switzerland, but it is not yet available throughout the country, but it is likely that 5G routers will become more widespread in the future and push back DSL, cable and fiber-optic connections. This is because the high speeds that can be achieved by using the 5G network will make mobile Internet sufficient for most domestic applications. All in all, it can be said that the mobile network is an interesting and popular alternative to wired Internet. The 4G network in Switzerland is very well developed, and with the increasing expansion of the 5G network, which should enable download speeds of up to 3 GBit/s, very high surfing speeds will be achievable over it in the future.
Internet connection by user type
| Target group | |
| Fiberglass | Suitable for continuous surfers and homeowners who depend on stable Internet connection:+ significantly less interference+ Usually achieves the promised speed (important: only applies to network devices connected to a LAN; i.e. router and PC are connected with LAN cables. As soon as you use a WLAN, the data rate is significantly reduced).- Higher costs for installation, unless you already have fiber optic connection |
| Cable | Suitable for frequent users: + mostly interference-free data throughput, even over longer transmission distances+ Downloading large amounts of data or streaming- bandwidth may fluctuate during peak hours when many users are on the move. Especially in the evenings and on weekends. |
| Copper/DSL | Suitable for occasional Internet use:+ Emails, web pages load quickly, videos run reasonably. – Online games and IP-TV not always quite smooth. |
| LTE (mobile network) | Frequent users and families (with flat rate):+ Flexibility: can be connected anywhere where there is electricity+ Contracts can be terminated more flexibly – Speed depending on location – LTE compatible device necessary- bandwidth may fluctuate during peak hours when many users are on the move. Especially in the evenings and on weekends. |
| 5G (mobile network) | Frequent users and families (with flat rate):+ Flexibility: can be connected anywhere where there is electricity+ Contracts can be terminated more flexibly+ Download speeds of up to 1.8 GBit/s- 5G not available everywhere- 5G compatible device necessary |
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