Open Fiber e Team they reached an agreement within the gray areas. On Wednesday the board of directors of Open Fiber (subsidiary of CDP to 60% e Macquarie at 40%) has given the green light for an agreement sharing of infrastructure and cable ducts that Tim would make available in the gray areas, those semi-competitive with respect to the framework of the 1 Giga Italy Plan, according to what Il Sole24ore reports. On the other hand, Open Fiber would pay a few tens of millions of euros but in return there would also be the supply by OF of fiber connections for base radio stations and infrastructures in the black areas of the country where the subsidiary of CDP and Macquarie is also present as a legacy of the past Metroweb.
Infratel's complaint against Open Fiber and Tim
This agreement follows the one of May 2022 on the white areas (those with "market failure" in which Open Fiber won three tenders for the country's cabling). This agreement comes in a context in which Tim and Open Fiber were challenged last July by infratel penalties (47 million for Of and 34,6 million for Tim) for delays in the implementation of the 1 Giga Italy Plan (with Pnrr funds). The penalty charge is for failure to connect the numbers as of June 30, 2023, which was aimed at 15% of the total. Under the existing mechanism, the penalties are recoverable - and therefore completely reset - in the two subsequent reference stages and therefore by June 2024. Continuing with the work they would therefore become "virtual" penalties. In this context, the agreement could be instrumental in accelerating the rollout thanks to the sharing of infrastructures.
In the background is the refinancing of the Open Fiber finance project
In the meeting of the Open Fiber board of directors, among the topics discussed there would also have been that of refinancing as part of the project financing of the TLC group. A pool of 32 credit institutions is involved in the negotiations and the advisor Lazard is working on this point.
Meanwhile on the Tim side there is a wait for the September 30th deadline: the date by which the US fund KKR is called upon to present a binding proposal for Netco (Tim and Sparkle network). The Mef entered the game with a memorandum of understanding which contemplates an entry into the new company of up to 20%, with a dowry of 2,5 billion.
