Italy's most available broadband connection is ADSL, with just one provider offering fiber-optic cable connections (Fastweb).

Coverage area of ASDL connections extends to 86% of the population.
Coverare area of the fiber-optic connections extends to 5.9M families.
The total number of broadband subscribers is 5.5M.
20% of the connections is managed by ISPs other than the incumbent Telecom Italia offering.
There are 1270 Wifi hotspots, with highway restaurants (Autogrill) recently offering access as well.
Source: Italian New Economy indicators
http://www.sanpaoloimprese.com/scriptImp/imprese/net/index.jsp

There are estimates that put three quarters of the connections on a metered access at 640 Kb/s speeds, and only one quarter of the connections on flat unmetered access on higher 4 Mb/s, or higher speeds.
http://punto-informatico.it/p.asp?i=54404&r=PI

The public wifi accesses (vs. the ones that are in Hotels, restaurants, airports, etc.) have only recently been approved, but are potentially in conflict with anti-terrorism legislation that iposes strict identification requirements to public internet access operators.
http://www.comunicazioni.it/it/index.php?IdNews=93
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1004/p07s01-woeu.html

Prices
Telecom Italia:
   - Alice Flat 640 Kb/s at EURO 19.95 / month
   - Alice 4 Mega at EURO 36,95 / month
Fastweb:
   - Fastweb Light (6 Mb/s in ADSL) at EURO 40,00 / month
   - Internet Giorno e Notte (6 Mb/s in ADSL or 10 Mb/s in fiber-optic) at EURO 40,00 / month
Libero:
   - Flat 4 Mega (in ADSL) at EURO 19,95 / month
   - Flat 12 Mega (in ADSL 2+) at EURO 34,95 / month
Tiscali:
   - Flat 2 Mega (in ADSL) at EURO 19,95 / month
   - Flat 6 Mega (in ADSL) at EURO 29,95 / month
   - Flat 12 Mega (in ADSL 2+) at EURO 34,95 / month

Speeds
Maximum ADSL speeds offered are of 4 Mb/s for Telecom Italia, 6 Mb/s for Fastweb and 12 Mb/s (in ADSL 2+ technology) for Libero and Tiscali.
The fiber-optic connections offered by Fastweb reach 10 Mb/s

Official website on broadband access:
http://www.osservatoriobandalarga.it/

The Anti-Digital Divide Association is mapping the broadband access situation in Italy
http://www.antidigitaldivide.org