From building infrastructure to spreading digital services. This is the new challenge identified during the visit of the Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council with responsibility for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition, Alessio Butti, in Rome headquarters of Open Fiber. Butti has met with CEO Giuseppe Gola and the company's management to take stock of the situation development of fiber optics in Italy and on the prospects of a sector that is increasingly central to citizens, businesses, and public administrations.
Open Fiber currently has the most extensive FTTH network in the country, with 17,4 million residential units reached, approximately 171 kilometers of infrastructure, and 4 million active lines. After over €12 billion in investments and a long phase dedicated to network construction, the goal is now to increase its adoption and transform it into a concrete tool for economic and social growth. High-capacity connectivity can support the development of digital healthcare, schools, public services, and production chains, while also reducing the distances between large cities and inland areas.
"Italy has demonstrated that, when there is a strategic vision and concrete implementation capacity, it is possible to quickly recover from decades of delays," said Butti. According to the Undersecretary, the country has moved "from a situation of serious difficulty to being among the most advanced countries in Europe in terms of connectivity." Butti also emphasized the role played by Open Fiber and the strategic nature of the network, considered essential for industrial competitiveness, economic growth, and full digital citizenship. The institutions' priority will therefore be to leverage the investments already made, encouraging the adoption of innovative services and ensuring that no part of the country is excluded from the opportunities of the digital transition.
From Artificial Intelligence to Edge Data Centers
La optical fiber It's not just a tool for faster browsing. Network capacity, reliability, and low latency are essential to supporting artificial intelligence, cloud computing, smart cities, and new distributed data processing models. "Open Fiber has created one of the most extensive and strategic digital infrastructures in the country, laying the foundation for the Italy of the future," said Giuseppe Gola. For the CEO, the next phase must focus on accelerating network adoption and the deployment of innovative services for citizens, businesses, and public administrations.Fiber optics is not just a connectivity factor“, added Gola, but “the essential infrastructure on which technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the new Edge Data Centers are developed”.
Among the projects examined during the meeting is: Open Edge, the company's plan to bring computing capacity closer to local communities and end users. The goal is to reduce response times for digital services and ensure greater efficiency for applications requiring real-time processing.
The five Edge Data Centers already in operation will be joined by eleven new nodes by the end of 2026A distributed network of infrastructures designed to offer low-latency services to businesses, public administrations, and territorial systems.
Fiber as a sensor for infrastructure and earthquakes
During the visit the following was also examined in depth: Fiber Sensing project, a technology that allows fiber optic cables to be used as a capillary network of sensors. work It allows the detection of vibrations, temperature variations, and stresses along the infrastructure. Possible applications include monitoring of infrastructure, network security, and observation of seismic events. Fiber can therefore play a key role. function that goes beyond data transmission, becoming a tool for gathering real-time information and monitoring the territory. This perspective strengthens the role of digital infrastructure in developing smarter cities, more efficient public services, and more advanced prevention systems.
The meeting between the government and Open Fiber confirmed the need for ongoing collaboration between institutions and operators. After investing in the network's deployment, the focus now shifts to its effective deployment and the ability to translate connectivity into innovation, competitiveness, and accessible services across the country.
