“I think Telecom needs to understand which direction it intends to identify and follow, we need clarity“. The managing director of Open Fiber, Elisabetta Ripa, who comes from the Telecom Italia group, speaks clearly during the hearing in the Chamber as part of the fact-finding investigation on new telecommunications technologies, with particular regard to the transition to 5G and big data management. The hypothesis of creating the joint network with Tim is theoretically possible, but strong points are needed.
“For us – continued Ripa on the sidelines of the hearing – the situation is different. Our plan is known and our shareholders are in line, this is not the case for Telecom”. “Let's give it time,” added Ripa.
The reference is ai constant clashes between Vivendi, Tim's majority shareholder, and the Elliott Fund, who currently controls the board with 6 directors against 5. The battle is postponed to March 29, the day on which the assembly will be held which, in addition to analyzing the budget, will deal with the requests of the French shareholder. Last December 14, the giant led by Vincent Bolloré asked to convene a meeting to appoint the auditors, but above all to revoke the 5 Elliott shareholders (Fulvio Conti, Alfredo Altavilla, Massimo Ferrari, Dante Roscini and Paola Giannotti de Ponti) and the parallel nomination of Franco Bernabè, Rob van der Valk, Flavia Mazzarella, Gabriele Galateri and Francesco Vatalaro.
Returning to the creation of a single network between Tim and Open Fiber for fiber, a hypothesis launched by Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio and which has also received the endorsement of the Minister of Economy, Giovanni Tria, “the important thing – according to Ripa – is to be clear about the goal that everyone cares about, that is do not duplicate investments. But if this is true, the only operator making investments is Open Fiber, so the duplication risk is a prospective risk”. “Right now – continued the manager – we don't find ourselves competing with anyone. In 40% of the territory there is the single network model. In metropolitan areas there is theoretically competition,”
“In perspective – concluded Ripa – it will depend on what Telecom Italia decides to do”. Furthermore, "Open Fiber is willing to hypothesize co-investments and cooperation with all subjects including the incumbent", i.e. precisely Tim. In the immediate future, "forms of collaboration would make it possible to implement digitalisation of the network more quickly and avoid duplication of investments", added Ripa.
The words of the CEO were also confirmed by the president of Open Fiber, Franco Bassanini: "The single network project presupposes that there is an agreement between the vast majority of Tim's shareholders on the one hand and Open Fiber on the other", but currently Tim's shareholders are not very aligned on this.
"Open Fiber, for its part, is building its network in a "double face" way, i.e. in such a way as to be used both for the ftth (the fiber up to the house, ed) and for the 5G "following the recommendations of the EU”, underlined Bassanini. All of this is "all the more significant in a country with low electromagnetic limits," he added. Regarding the limits, Bassanini explained that it would be "reasonable to raise them, the problem is by how much".
