Open Fiber has struck a deal with Wind Tre that will see the recently-merged mobile operator offer fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) to 60% of the Italian population using its wholesale fibre network.
Open Fiber, which is a partnership between the Italian government and Enel, an energy firm, offers FTTH services in 12 cities, installing fibre through Enel’s electricity network.
Under the new agreement, Wind Tre, which was formed when VEON-owned operator Wind merged with CK Hutchison’s Three in a deal last year, will be able to offer FTTH to a further 10 million homes across 258 Italian cities.
Tommaso Pompei, CEO at Open Fiber, said: "The agreement with Wind Tre, one of the key players in the sector, allows us to accelerate the creation of a future-proof communication network in 271 cities that are situated in Italy’s most densely populated areas and to reduce digital divide in our Country compared to the rest of Europe."
Wind Tre currently serves around 2.4 million broadband customers, although it does not break these figures down into fibre and other services. The new deal, which lasts until at least 2024, will enable it to cover around 60% of the population with speeds of up to 1Gbps.
"Our agreement with Open Fiber extends our partnership to rapidly ramp up the provisioning of our broadband services across 271 cities, enabling affordable and accessible services for our customers and assisting in the 'digitalization’ of the Italian economy," said Jeffrey Hedberg, CEO at Wind Tre.
"In partnership with Open Fiber we will be in a position to accelerate and reinforce the ultra-broadband development plan launched by the Government. In addition, Wind Tre is strengthening its position in the Italian market as a large integrated operator, offering its customers innovative technology solutions, with simple, transparent and attractive offers."