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Iliad is working on creating a new network independent of Wind-Tre as soon as possible. Here’s what changes for users
Iliad has been present on the Italian market for over two years with its own mobile offer, and soon (presumably at the beginning of 2021) it will also introduce the first fixed-line tariffs, thanks to an agreement signed with Open Fiber. However, the mobile telephony market remains the main target of Italy’s fourth largest operator, which has seen excellent growth over the past two years, to the point of accelerating its plan to build its own network.
Anyone who has subscribed to Iliad since its inception knows perfectly well that the operator relies on the Wind-Tre infrastructure, but also installs its own antennas to become independent. The project started last year and is progressing fairly quickly despite many bureaucratic obstacles. Iliad’s goal is to install around 5,000 by the end of 2020. antennas throughout the country, which will cover about 20% of customer traffic. Full coverage is not expected in the next few years, but in 2021 there will be an impulse that will allow customers in large cities to surf using the proprietary Iliad network.
What will change thanks to the Iliad proprietary network
To debut on the Italian market, Iliad entered into an agreement to use the Wind-Tre infrastructure. Iliad, however, is not a virtual operator like the various Poste Mobile, Kena Mobile, ho.Mobile and Very Mobile, but is an operator in its own right. This is due to a special agreement signed with Wind-Tre and the technology used to operate the operator’s network. The technical term is ran sharing and it is a type of advanced roaming that shows users on their screens that network coverage belongs to Iliad and not to the infrastructure provider. But it is not everything. Ran sharing also allows Iliad to offer better services.
Quality pays off and for this reason Iliad also started working on its own network by installing antennas in different parts of Italy. Creating its own network, as well as guaranteeing higher quality and speed of the network, will allow Iliad to be independent and to direct all investments towards infrastructure improvement.
Building an independent network, however, is not easy, and most of all it requires time and money. The Iliad project is progressing very quickly, despite the blockage that logistically slowed down the works. The goal is to install 5,000. facilities by the end of 2020 and covering at least 15-20% of traffic with its own network. In 2021, it is planned to increase the number of antennas to cover at least all major Italian cities.
How to tell if you are surfing on Iliad’s proprietary network
It is not easy for users to tell if they are connected to a WindTre or Iliad antenna. But it doesn’t really matter. Both infrastructures guarantee very high speeds and good signal coverage. With over 3,000 antennas installed by Iliad so far, mostly in the Center-North and in Rome, it is very likely that you are connected to the WindTre infrastructure, but in the future there will always be more coverage from the independent Iliad network.
