Inwit S p A : and Open Fiber join forces to reduce the Country’s digital divide

Rossetti (OF): "Bringing ultrabroadband to even the most rural and remote areas of the country is a priority and a social mission for Open Fiber".

Ferigo (INWIT): "A further step towards reducing the digital divide, to build a more inclusive and sustainable society".

Rome 26th July 2022 - INWIT, Italy's main tower operator, and Open Fiber, the top operator of FTTH (Fiber To The Home) network infrastructure, and one of the leaders in Europe, have signed a strategic agreement to provide FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) technology coverage for over 600 municipalities across the country. The partnership will make a major contribution to reducing the digital divide in Italy, a gap that is not only technological but also social and industrial.

The agreement provides for the design and construction of up to a maximum of 500 new sites by INWIT, with construction starting in 2022, and the related hospitality and infrastructure maintenance services. Open Fiber will provide the sites with FWA equipment and fibre optic connections. The intention is to facilitate access to the ultrabroadband network in areas of the country where it is still limited or absent.

Thanks to this new agreement, Open Fiber aims to accelerate coverage in small municipalities and inland areas and, in particular, in areas that are difficult to reach with FTTH connectivity. To date, the company has reached over 14 million homes, companies and government offices with its infrastructure. Around 4,000 small municipalities and 200 cities are already able to use the digital services available on the ultrabroadband network created by Open Fiber.

For INWIT, the agreement is a further opportunity to expand its infrastructure with sites equipped with technological and structural features particularly suited to fulfilling the growing demand from FWA operators, with a return profile in line with its business model. INWIT is therefore strengthening its role as the main neutral host infrastructure operator in Italy, serving all mobile, FWA and IoT operators, in line with the evolution of its towers from real estate assets to digital infrastructure, contributing to a reduction in the digital divide.

"We are working each day to build the network that will enable the country to keep pace with the ongoing digital revolution," said Mario Rossetti, CEO of Open Fiber. "The INWIT agreement is one more step that confirms our commitment to providing the areas that are still not reached by adequate connectivity with next generation network infrastructure. Given the powerful social value of our work, the acceleration and completion of the network in white areas is a top priority for Open Fiber, a fact backed up by our second quarter 2022 production figures - the best result ever achieved by Open Fiber".

"This agreement is intended as further step towards reducing the digital divide, i.e. reducing the digital social marginalisation that unfortunately still exists in many areas of our country - says INWIT CEO Giovanni Ferigo. If we really want to build an inclusive and sustainable society, we must think of digitalisation as an ally, as an enabling tool for a more sustainable future for all".