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Open Fiber – ultra broadband is also reaching Italy: this is what the new infrastructure is and how it works
Thanks to Open Fiber, the ultra-broadband network reaches Italy. Its main mission is to build the entire fiber-optic infrastructure, from the transmission cabin to the end customer’s home, throughout the country, in order to overcome the digital divide and guarantee the entire population the ability to use high-speed connections, up to 1 gigabyte per second.
The future of connectivity is ultra broadband internet access, no matter what area you are in, from big cities to smaller villages, ensuring everyone can get the most out of FTTH technology. Founded in December 2015 and changed over the years to become the current reality in the first quarter of 2017, Open Fiber implements the goals of the European Digital Agenda, the Italian Ultra Broadband Strategy and the Gigabit Society. The basis is therefore a common plan that defines the minimum levels of connectivity for all countries joining the European Community, from institutions to companies and citizens.
What is Open Fiber
Open Fiber, a technology project created by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (Cdp) and the Enel Group, is an operator that supplies fiber “only in bulk”. What does it mean? Contrary to other commercial operators, it does not have plans dedicated directly to end users, but leases its infrastructure to operators in a given area for distribution.
The main task of Open Fiber is therefore to create infrastructure for the fiber network, from excavation to laying, or using already available infrastructure where possible. All this is faster and more efficient thanks to the possibility of using the areas and excavations previously made for the passage of electric cables thanks to Enel’s presence in the project.
Currently, Open Fiber is planning to extend the range of optical fibers to over 270 cities and 7 thousand. municipalities in Italy, all by 2023. Once the network is available, operators will be able to lease it and offer their customers connection plans and tariffs to surf the 1000-megawatt FTTH network.
Open Fiber, which stands for FTTC and FTTH
When talking about Open Fiber, two acronyms are most often heard: FTTC and FTTH, what exactly do they mean? First of all, please note that these two acronyms denote two different types of technology, Fiber To The Cabinet and Fiber To The Home.
Specifically, the FTTC indicates a connection which is the presence of a fiber optic cable that connects the transmitting station to a street cabinet, also called a cabin. The second part of the connection, i.e. the section connecting the cabinet with the house, is made of copper. Although it can reach speeds of 100/200 Mbps, this technology is influenced by certain specific conditions such as distance from the rack, temperature changes or weather conditions; it is therefore a limited network, it cannot guarantee the optimal performance of the full fiber connection. In order to identify it, AGCOM decided to present it with a yellow sticker marked FR, meaning fiber / copper.
The FTTH network, that is, the fiber optic connection from the transmission center to the home, is able to guarantee a more stable connection and higher efficiency; a step back is the FTTB network, or Fiber To The Building, which identifies a single fiber link from the center to the condominium headquarters and a final copper link to the individual apartments. The use of a fiber optic cable along the entire route guarantees a maximum speed of 1 Gb / s, with minimal dispersion, and a lower environmental impact thanks to the strength of the entire fiber bundle from which the cables are made. In this case, AGCOM has chosen a green sticker with the abbreviation F for fiber.
