DSL vs. Fiber Optic Experiences?

Lack of necessity: available copper connections can provide sufficient speed (for private use)

It's not about speed. Currently, it is intensively about the energy consumption of the DSLAM and the equipment behind it as well as spare parts supply. Speed is secondary. Furthermore, there is no obligation to supply people via copper. From a certain point, you either have fiber optic or the providers set up a 4G/5G router for you.

For all of Germany, yes. But I can already imagine that in the future, DSL lines will be regionally discontinued when the provider has already expanded the same area via fiber optic. It's basically double costs for hardware/maintenance for the providers.

Exactly that will happen or is already happening in some places. Vectoring in particular is a heavy power consumer.

It’s not about speed.

Not for the users. Actually the only interesting point (besides contract costs) for the users. And that’s why hardly anyone uses it. And because no one wants it, expanding it is not worthwhile. It’s a vicious circle.

Moreover, there is no obligation to supply people via copper. At a certain point you then have either fiber optic

... which will not happen, as laying fiber optic is too expensive due to the lack of demand. Telekom with vectoring has ruined fiber optic. For the user.

The ONT, for example, is also "almost" just a simple Ethernet to Fiber converter (+GPON).

I'm picking this up now because we're also trying to better understand the technology, as the information from our network provider is unfortunately contradictory. Is the "ONT" the device that is connected directly to the fiber optic cables, or is there something in between? Background: we just had the fiber optic cables installed in the basement. Currently, the cables from the multi-utility line are just hanging there. We asked if everything was finished with that and if we just needed to sign the contract now, and the first statement was "yes." In our contract (Internet only), it says that they will install a "WLAN-ONT" (which I assume takes on the ONT's tasks and additionally provides Wi-Fi – which we will probably handle differently anyway). However, in the contract confirmation, it says something like "The WLAN-ONT will be installed directly next to your existing fiber optic outlet," which confused us because we do not have a "connection outlet" (only the fiber optic cables hanging from the multi-utility line)... But if I read from you that the ONT does the translation from copper to fiber optic, then that actually sounds exactly right—that the ONT is connected to the fiber optic cables (and the wording in the contract confirmation was just confusing)—or am I misunderstanding, and is there usually something in between?

The fiber optic cable in a Speedpipe is routed into the house and ends at the HÜP (Hausübergabepunkt). From there, it goes to the GF-TA (Glasfaser Teilnehmerabschluss). If nothing is agreed upon, the GF-TA is usually installed within a radius of 2-3 m from the HÜP. If the cable route is appropriately prepared, the GF-TA can be mounted up to 20m away from the HÜP. Every fiber optic installer does their own thing here. This is usually where the fiber optic connection ends. A small number of fiber optic companies specify their own ONT or media converter, although the Federal Network Agency sees it differently. However, no ONT or media converter needs to be connected at the GF-TA if the router has a direct fiber optic connection. Personally, I would work with an ONT and then use my own router.