La Marche region officially Ultra Broadband Plan concluded (Bul), becoming the fourth in Italy to bring the ultra-fast connectivity in all 217 municipalities classified as “white areas”, that is, territories in which private operators had not expressed interest in investing. The announcement was made today at Palazzo Raffaello in Ancona, seat of the Regional Council, in the presence of Councilor Andrea Maria Antonini, the CEO of Open Fiber Giuseppe Gola and the head of Infratel Italia Pietro Piccinetti.
Il Piano, promoted from the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy (Mimit) and implemented by Infratel Italia, saw Open Fiber win through a tender the construction and management concession of the infrastructure, which however remains public property. The intervention allowed pdare 4.673 kilometers of Ftth optical fiber (Fiber To The Home), enabling ultra-high performance connectivity for over 341 thousand real estate units and 2.463 public administration offices, including schools, hospitals, town halls and police stations.
The Ftth network, a concrete impact for the territory
The new Ftth network in the Marche is designed to offer connection speed up to 10 Gigabits per second, paving the way for innovative services in the fields of digital healthcare, remote working, distance learning, intelligent management of public services and territorial monitoring. According to Open Fiber, the fiber system also guarantees environmental benefits, with 60% lower energy consumption than traditional copper networks.
“Ultra-broadband is a act of digital democracy", he has declared Andrea Antonini, Councilor for Digitalization, "and represents an important step forward in the digital transition strategy of the Marche Region. Our digital infrastructure allows us to be more competitive and democratic, guaranteeing citizens fast access to the internet and essential services. Digitalization is now an essential part of everyday life. This also allows us to provide tools to companies to work faster and in a more connected way, promoting the economic and social development of the territory."
The role of Open Fiber in the Bul Plan
For Joseph Gola, ad of Open Fiber, the success of the Bul Plan in the Marche marks "a fundamental step towards bridging the digital divide between small towns and large cities". The challenge now is "to promote the adoption of the Ftth network, to improve the quality of life, support the growth of local businesses and combat the depopulation of internal areas, the true heritage of our country".
Of the same opinion Peter Piccinetti, number one of Infratel Italy: “Bringing ultra-fast connectivity to less densely populated areas is a strategic mission for the entire country, and it is only possible thanks to a virtuous collaboration between public and private entities. Today, over 340 thousand families and more than 2.400 public offices can count on a modern, secure infrastructure ready to support the digital services of the future”.
Beyond the White Areas: An Infrastructure for the Entire Region
In parallel with public intervention in the white areas, Open Fiber has also invested with its own resources in the main cities of the Marche region. In the urban areas of Ancona, Pesaro, Macerata, Ascoli Piceno, Senigallia, Osimo, Jesi, Fabriano, Civitanova Marche and San Benedetto del Tronto, the company has activated a proprietary Ftth network that reaches 136 thousand real estate units, with a total investment of 41 million euros.
At a national level, Open Fiber has already Over 14,5 million Ftth fiber optic real estate units made available, positioning itself as the first wholesale-only operator in Europe and leader in the sector in Italy. The vision remains that of a single, widespread and open digital infrastructure, which can support the digital transition of the country, connecting urban centers, rural areas and production districts in a single future-proof network.
