Jazztel inks FTTH deal with Telefonica for shared deployment

Alternative Spanish broadband provider Jazz Telecom (Jazztel) has announced that it has signed a vertical infrastructure access agreement with local fixed line incumbent Telefonica de Espana for the shared deployment of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks. With Jazztel claiming that the deal represents the start of its fibre deployment via co-investment, it has said that the agreement itself sets out ‘reciprocal conditions under which both parties will deploy and access the vertical infrastructure defined in the Agreement’. Specifically, the telco noted that the deal is limited to the deployment of FTTH networks in three million premises, and is expected to result in the deployment of new networks, as well as the provision of access to pre-existing fibre infrastructure. In terms of financing, Jazztel has said that investments related to the initial phase of new FTTH deployment will be covered by its existing cash resources, while it is understood to be conducting negotiations with regards to funding for the latter stages of the project.