TIM has accelerated its fibre-optic rollout bringing ultrabroadband to two-thirds of families in “white areas” providing coverage for over 2,000 municipalities in around 5 months. Thanks to this massive infrastructural boost, which aims to provide a concrete response to the growing need for connectivity mainly in rural areas or with low population density throughout the country, around two-thirds (65%) of families resident in these areas and that use the fixed network now have access to super-fast connections.
The intensification of the cabling programmes and the strengthening of the network that the company has implemented since the beginning of March has allowed the continuation of all activities during the lockdown, in particular smart working and online teaching, and to optimally manage the traffic peaks that occurred during this phase. Thanks to these interventions, TIM's optical fibre covers more than 86% of households. In particular, in just a few months, this action has led to the achievement of a significant step in overcoming the digital divide in the country which TIM wants to fill by 2021.
Moreover, in the months ahead TIM will continue to give strong impetus to its cabling programmes, bringing fibre to 90% of families nationwide by December. Specifically, more than 5,000 municipalities will be reached by the plan, many of which in the "white areas", that is 74% of households living in those areas and using the fixed network.
Luigi Gubitosi, Chief Executive Officer of TIM commented: “The new goal of fibre coverage of the country achieved today is thanks to the strong determination of our Group and the expertise of our technicians who have attained results in favour of the country in record time. We will continue along this path in the interest of citizens, customers and institutions with the aim of permanently bridging the digital divide in our country and we will continue with the “Operazione Risorgimento Digitale” project to help close the digital skills gap as well”.
The important infrastructural work carried out since March until now has provided around 3 million citizens and businesses that had been excluded from fast Internet to gain access to ultrabroadband services of up to 200 Mbps made available by the fibre optic network using FTTCab technology. This is an intense activation programme that to date has involved around 11,000 roadside cabinets from north to south of the peninsula, which will be extended to over 15,000 cabinets by year’s end.
To ensure ultrabroadband connections in municipalities that do not yet have access to fibre, TIM has also confirmed its commitment to the rollout of ultrabroadband connections using FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) technology, which uses a hybrid system of cable and wireless connections to offer connectivity services via ultrabroadband.
Rome, 14 August 2020
