Italtel and Open Fiber Extend Contracts to Develop Broadband Network

MILAN, ITALY — Italtel, a multinational information and communication technology (ICT) company, and Italian FTTH wholesale operator Open Fiber have extended their contracts for the development of an ultra-broadband network in underserved areas of Italy.

The first two contracts for the project date back to 2016 when Italtel was chosen as the designated designer of the network for two initial Infratel tenders issued by Italy’s government to get connectivity to "market failure" areas where broadband networks have previously not been built due to low economic viability.

The multi-year activity, depending on the timing that will be indicated by the client, is worth more than €200 million ($238 million), lining up with the economic expectations of Italtel’s industrial plan.

Implications for Employment
“We are proud to play a role in a greatly important project for the country, with significant implications for employment,” said Stefano Pileri, CEO of Italtel. “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.”

The aim of the Infratel request for bids is to design and construct, as well as maintain and manage an ultra-broadband infrastructure for more than 6,700 cities in sixteen regions.

Italtel is carrying out the designing of the fiber optic access infrastructure (FTTH), the fixed wireless access network (FWA) and the network’s point of presence (PoPs) at its ultra-broadband engineering centers.