The Italy's ultra-broadband changes pace and closes the gap with European partners. According to the latest IDATE report, presented in collaboration with the FTTH Council, our country has achieved a FTTH fiber optic coverage (Fiber To The Home) rate of 72%. The same data shows a clear acceleration: fiber penetration is now approaching the EU27+UK average of 76,8%, placing Italy among the leading players on the continental scene.
And it's not just a question of infrastructure. Italy is in fact ranked fourth place in Europe for the increase in new wired housing units and fifth in subscriber growth. This result confirms that the transition to next-generation networks is now well underway, supported by a European context increasingly focused on decommissioning legacy technologies.
Open Fiber, the engine of transformation
Open Fiber stands out in this race. The operator confirms its position as the driving force behind the development of the national FTTH network, with numbers that consolidate its leadership. By September 2025, 54% of Italian pure fiber users will be using its infrastructure.
Since 2017, its contribution has been decisive, with national coverage rising from 22% to 72%, marking a structural growth of the country's system. Today the network has 17,2 million real estate units reached and 3,9 million active customers.
Behind these numbers lies a massive industrial effort. €11 billion has been invested in approximately 165.000 kilometers of infrastructure, equivalent to 36 million kilometers of fiber optics. A network that makes Open Fiber, the main non-incumbent FTTH operator and leader among wholesale-only models in Europe.
The Italian paradox: infrastructure ahead, users behind
If the cover runs, adoption remains the real Achilles heelThe take-up rate in Italy stands at 30%, far below the European average of 54,9%. This gap highlights a contradiction: the network exists, but it is not yet fully exploited.
The challenge, therefore, is no longer just to build, but to convince. We need accelerate user migration towards fiber, overcoming cultural and commercial resistance that is holding back the spread of high-speed services.
The switch-off challenge and the 2035 horizon
The future is already mapped out. The Digital Networks Act sets 2035 as the realistic target for the definitive phase-out of legacy networks. This transition has already begun in other European countries and is producing tangible results. It's no coincidence that France, Spain, and the United Kingdom—where the switch-off has begun—lead the rankings for growth in active lines. This is where adoption is truly accelerating, transforming fiber availability into actual use.
For Italy, therefore, the game is entering its decisive phase. After building the digital highway, it's time to fill it with traffic.
