Italtel and Open Fiber extend ultra-broadband network partnership for underserved areas of Italy

Italtel said it will extend contracts with Italian wholesale fiber to the home (FTTH) services provider Open Fiber to develop an ultra-broadband network in underserved areas of Italy.

The two companies began working together in 2016, when Italtel was selected to design the network for two initial Infratel tenders issued by the Italian government, to provide connectivity to what it deemed 'market failure' areas. Such areas are regions where broadband networks have yet to be built because of low economic viability.

According to Italtel, the Infratel tenders are intended to design, construct, and manage an ultra-broadband infrastructure for over 6,700 cities in 16 regions. Depending on the timing as indicated by the client, the multi-year project is worth over €200 million, and aligns with the economic requirements of Italtel's industrial plan. Italtel is designing the FTTH infrastructure, the fixed wireless access network, and the network's point of presence (PoP) at its ultra-broadband engineering center.

The multinational company operates in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, offering network, data center, business collaboration, digital security, and Internet of Things (IoT) services. Recently, Italtel was acquired by Exprivia, a company listed on the STAR segment of the Italian stock exchange [XPR.MI].

"We are proud to play a significant role in a greatly important project for the country, with significant implications for employment," said Stefano Pileri, Italtel's CEO. "Thanks to the collaboration with Open Fiber, Italtel consolidates its expertise in the designing of ultra-broadband optical and wireless networks to provide a unique experience that represents value for the evolution of 5G networks and for the development of foreign markets.

In addition to helping Italtel with the construction of the ultra-broadband infrastructure for more than 6,700 cities, Open Fiber recently announced that it completed the commercial trial of 200-Gbps optical transmission on part of its new Zion fiber-optic network, connecting 270 cities (see "Open Fiber hits 200 Gbps on Zion fiber-optic network").

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