FastWeb outlines WiMAX plans

Italian broadband provider FastWeb says it plans to spend up to EUR400 million on WiMAX wireless broadband technology over the next three to four years if it is successful in winning a licence in Italy’s forthcoming spectrum auction. The firm says its investment plan is based on the expectation that telecoms regulator Agcom will call for all WiMAX licensees to offer coverage to 90% of the country’s population. FastWeb has been conducting trials of WiMAX technology since 2005 and says it plans to use the technology to reach areas not currently covered by its ADSL or fibre networks. The government is expected to offer WiMAX concessions this June, although full details of the sale have not yet been published.