UPC Switzerland has started or will soon start offering services over fibre-optic networks in four municipalities: Riehen, canton Basel-Stadt; Wallisellen and Dietlikon, canton Zurich; and Lausanne, canton Vaud, the company confirmed to Handelszeitung. In Riehen and Dietlikon the services have been launched already; in Wallisellen and Lausanne they will start soon.
This gives UPC additional coverage of around 200,000 households. The expansion to FTTH networks is part of the company's strategy to increase its footprint. This also includes construction of new network segments and small acquisitions.
While in Wallisellen and Dietlikon UPC offers services via local carriers, in Riehen and Lausanne the operator uses the fibre-optic network of its competitor Swisscom.
Although UPC is in a dispute with Swisscom over the TV market, the cable operator is taking a pragmatic approach to expanding its footprint by using the infrastructure of competitors. In some locations, old copper networks are being switched off, while in other places such as Riehen, UPC lost access to the cable network through a referendum.
Source: https://www.telecompaper.com/news/upc-switzerland-expands-services-over-fibre-networks--1209497