After that announced with Vodafone, Open Fiber also closes the Tiscali agreement for the extension of the strategic partnership for the dissemination of ultrabroadband services in the 7.635 municipalities of the "Infratel areas", also known as white areas, i.e. areas in which broadband infrastructures were non-existent and in which it was considered unlikely that they would be developed in the short term. The agreement, already in place in 271 cities, now covers the entire perimeter of the Open Fiber cabling plan which provides for the coverage of over 19 million real estate units.
Open Fiber is building an entirely optical fiber network that will allow reach speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second. Furthermore, as part of the partnership, Open Fiber will buy some Tiscali infrastructure under concession in order to further extend its network. With the expansion of the agreement signed with Open Fiber, Tiscali is therefore increasing its current range of fiber services.
“We are particularly satisfied with the collaboration with Open Fiber – he commented the managing director of Tiscali Renato Soru – and the further extension of the agreement, which confirms Tiscali's mission of guaranteeing all citizens the right to access ultra-fast internet services and which represents an important building block for our strategy of relaunching and developing the fiber market ”.
"In the white areas - added the CEO of Open Fiber Elisabetta Ripa - we proceed with the creation of the ultra-broadband network respecting the times agreed with Infratel and in 2019 we will complete the works in around 800 municipalities. The extension of the agreement with Tiscali confirms the validity and solidity of the Open Fiber project which, with its model, ensures access to an entirely optical fiber network for all players, guaranteeing equal conditions. The attention of the operators for the marketing of the offers even in the most difficult to reach and less densely populated areas will soon lead to bridging the digital divide that has been afflicting some areas of our country for too long".
In this context it should be emphasized the decision of the EU Court of Justice relating precisely to Open Fiber's ultra-broadband. According to the EU judges, the concession to the company led by Elisabetta Ripa of services concerning the passive ultra-broadband network in various Italian regions does not violate EU law. The decision comes following an appeal presented by Telecom Italia, which had turned to the Italian administrative courts deeming the award illegitimate.
