Viavi Solutions Inc. (VIAVI) (NASDAQ: VIAV) says it will supply test equipment to support Italian open fiber broadband network operator Open Fiber’s planned national fiber deployment. The wholesale network company plans to connect 24 million households, including in unserved and underserved areas by the end of 2031.
Open Fiber currently connects 14 million Italian residences and recently reached an agreement with Italian incumbent operator TIM to further expand its footprint (see “TIM, Fibercop to provide fiber broadband infrastructure access to Open Fiber”). As an open network operator, the company leases its network to service providers. Open Fiber currently supports 300 national and international service providers, according to VIAVI.
The network operator plans to spend 15 billion euros on its expansion initiative. The figure includes a loan of 7.2 billion euros, which VIAVI says is the largest ever granted to in EMEA for network expansion.
The test equipment vendor will supply its Optical Network Measurement System (ONMSi), which Open Fiber will use to help manage network compliance and troubleshooting through the deployment and operation phases. “Open Fiber is charting an ambitious path to modernize the digital infrastructure for the whole of Italy,” said Manuel Mato, vice president, EMEA, at VIAVI. “Our partnership enables Open Fiber to automate and accelerate their FTTH build without sacrificing quality while ensuring error-free first-time customer activation. Equally important, proactive in-life monitoring also allows Open Fiber to isolate network issues and shorten resolution and restoration times. We are proud of our role in helping Open Fiber realize a digital Italy.”
The ONMSi has been selected for similar deployments by Openreach and Proximus.
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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