Open Fiber (OF) signs an important agreement with Acea to bring ultrafiber to Rome. The two groups signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday with the aim, explained the CEO of Open Fiber Tommaso Pompei, of connecting 1,2-1,3 million homes in 4-5 years with an investment target of around 400 million euros.
The Memorandum, explains a note, will last until 31 December 2017 and envisages that Acea is the infrastructure supplier. The electricity group which distributes electricity in Rome and which has the monopoly of the local network (acquired by Enel when market liberalization began) undertakes to make available "the cartographic data and the support necessary for identifying the infrastructure for the construction of the network. Acea will also be able to contribute to the physical creation of the network", explains the statement released by the two groups.
Open Fiber will be responsible for identifying the network architecture and, if Acea expresses interest, providing the technical specifications for the design and construction of the works; supply network and commercial services to Acea in wholesale mode (such as the leasing of portions of the network, connections and active services); ensure the transfer of technical and technological know-how to Acea functional to the development of its services (remote control of Smart City-type systems and/or services).
Should Acea request it, the parties will be able to set up a company, with Acea majority, for the development of projects in the "Smart City" area.
In essence, the agreement lays the foundations for OF to bring fiber (FTTH) into Roman homes via electricity meters. It is the same project in which OF (of which Enel and Cdp are shareholders with 50% each) initially started relying on the Enel distribution network and which then continued regardless of the replacement of the second generation digital electricity meters. There is no doubt, however, that the meter is an ideal gateway to reach homes without counting the fiber allows not only the telephone provider but also the electricity provider (in this case Acea) to offer advanced (smart meter) and home automation. That is precisely the services related to the so-called "smart city".
Finally, a mutual commitment of the parties not to enter into discussions with third parties for the entire duration of the Mou is envisaged.
Open Fiber therefore proceeds with its plan for the construction of an ultra-fast fiber optic network in competition with Tim. Competition that has led to a real clash on the white areas, those with market failure. OF was in fact awarded the first two tenders by Infratel. The company, of which he is president Franco Bassanini is also carrying out his plans even in the black areas, the richest ones where the competition between operators is greatest.
Finally, according to the rumors collected by Bloomberg, Sky would have started negotiations with Open Fiber for the launch of a high-speed broadband service to be offered among the premium packages, thus trying to shake up a market dominated by Telecom Italia. If the negotiations are still confined to a confidential dimension, the goal would be to reach an agreement in October at which point Sky could launch the new offer in Italy in the first three months of 2018, similar to the one already in force in the United Kingdom . In the UK, Sky has pushed its presence on the Internet with aggressive commercial policies to counter the advance of Netflix and Amazon. It reported in January that it had reached more than 6 million Internet customers, 27% of whom connected by optical fiber.
The Sky-Open Fiber deal comes while Tim is under observation by the Italian government due to the presence of Vivendi as the reference shareholder with 23,9% and after the tensions over the Fincantieri-Stx match. Vivendi has in mind a TV-Internet conversion project and the creation of a pay TV that brings together Tim and Canal + cannot be ruled out.