Iliad prepares launch of fixed line services in Italy
French mobile operator Iliad is close to signing a deal with broadband network company Open Fiber to offer fixed-line data services in Italy, sources said. iliad fixed line
The move comes as COVID-19 underlines the importance for businesses of fast fiber connections to streamline operations.
Over the past few years, fixed-line telephony has been under pressure in Italy but the pandemic has changed perspectives as companies embrace smartworking and look set to enhance their use of digital networks.
“Open Fiber and Iliad have been talking for several months and an agreement now looks close”, one of the sources said.
Another source confirmed talks are ongoing but cautioned no deal had been signed yet.
Iliad, which launched its low-price mobile offer for Italy two years ago, said in the past it was looking to provide its Italian customers with a fixed-line offer by 2024.
With Comcast unit SKY set to launch its broadband offer in Italy this month, Iliad’s foray would further increase competition in the fixed-line segment, adding pressure to former monopoly Telecom Italia, which still dominates the market in this area.
News that Iliad and state-backed Open Fiber were in advanced talks over a deal on fixed-line services was reported first by Milano Finanza daily.
Open Fiber would seem at the moment the most logical choice for iliad both in terms of costs and that of the quality and performance of the network (with the Gigabit fiber brought up to the home), but given the partial coverage of the territory , nothing prevents you from thinking that there may also be agreements with other operators, such as Tiscali , which uses Open Fiber where available, but also that of Flash Fiber (TIM and Fastweb joint venture) in areas not covered by the former.
In France, with Free, the group is focusing on fiber optics, with large investments and important migration work from the old copper xDSL connections to the FTTH ones, so an option could also be that of launching an exclusively fiber service (FTTH), but limited in coverage, pending an acceleration planned by Open Fiber itself . iliad fixed line
