Cable vs. Telecom Fiber Optic - Decision

I would like to join in here. I am facing the decision of whether satellite, cable, or something else. Cable is possible in our new development area. However, I would forgo it due to monthly costs and monopoly by Vodafone. Satellite only has one-time acquisition costs at the beginning and possibly maintenance. Now I am reading here, among other things, about FTTH or IPTV. Can someone explain to me exactly what that is or what the difference is? Has satellite basically become obsolete with these two technologies? And which option is the most cost-effective? On FTTH, I had read here on page 2 that it would include telephone, internet, media libraries, and classic TV. However, telephone and media library would be rather unimportant for us.

Satellite is currently only a last resort when nothing else works. If cable is available, I would have that and copper installed. Then you still have the choice.

Now I read among other things here about FTTH or IPTV. Can someone explain to me what exactly that is or what the difference is?

FTTH (Fiber to the Home) means fiber optic (not just up to the next junction, and then copper again), but all the way into the house. IPTV means television over Internet Protocol, so as "Triple Play" (Internet & telephone & broadcast) as an internet service instead of via the "cable connection." In pink this is called T-Entertain, you basically plug your PC and telephone into the TV receiver as well. Everyone is just boiling water, but the marketing talk sounds "innovative." Whether you watch TV over the internet connection or make phone calls over cable TV is in practice six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Basically, a FTTH (fiber optic) connection is the first choice.

With cable, you just have to be lucky that it works without problems. Due to segment oversubscription or return path interference, cable can have issues.

What is available on your property? Only cable?

Satellite is a last resort for me. I once had SkyDSL. You basically have your thinking second. Applications that rely on good ping can be completely forgotten. The other thing is Starlink. It doesn’t cost little per month and the power consumption of the equipment is said to be quite high as well. Before I would go for satellite, I would check if mobile communications aren’t better. The downside of wireless stuff is that you usually have a volume limit and wireless is not cable and usually has ongoing costs.

Don’t you have an acquaintance who knows a lot about it and could perhaps show you something directly at his place? From my point of view, it is an overall concept that should be planned in advance. This not only affects your connection but also the in-house cabling of LAN and coax.

You can see once again how different opinions can be.

For us, satellite is not a last resort.



You are right that costs only occur once (apart from some electricity costs for a possible multiswitch). And as far as repair costs are concerned, these are also very low.

Our current satellite system has been here for 20 years, and this year I had to replace the multiswitch (power supply defective, the voltage regulator had also somewhat damaged it, possibly other components defective as well) as well as the two LNBs (Astra and Hotbird).

Material costs about 140 euros. If I had taken a cheaper multiswitch it would have been only about 110 euros.

Just take a look at which channels the cable provider feeds in that are interesting for you and how it looks with satellite.

Additionally, you should keep in mind that it can also happen that a cable provider removes one or the other channel.

PS.

In the neighborhood, several people have switched from cable to satellite in recent years. I have spoken with some of them and I was always told that cable simply is too expensive for them.

I think you are talking past each other :).
Some are talking about the internet connection:

There is the choice between Telekom (800 EUR flat rate) vs. Vodafone - cable - (1000 EUR flat rate). And emergency solutions like mobile network and now also satellite ([Starlink von SpaceX]).

I would always prefer Telekom and Vodafone for new construction.

Advantage Telekom: The medium comes from them. But you can change the provider later -> competition.
As far as I know, this does not work with Vodafone.

Others are talking about television:

This can be done via the good old satellite dish and via IP-TV.

We are also currently facing the choice of network access. I tend to Vodafone (1 GBit). Telekom would offer 16 MBit. Unfortunately, a local provider with fiber optic is not yet ready to offer in the area.