Com Hem and Zitius collaborate

Sweden’s largest cableco Com Hem and open access metropolitan network operator Zitius have signed a framework agreement under which TV, broadband and telephony services from Com Hem will be made available in areas covered by Zitius’ networks. Stefan Trampus, Com Hem sales director, said: ‘This type of collaboration is a perfectly natural development for us provided we can guarantee a high level of customer experience. It’s something we feel entirely secure in that Zitius meets all the demands we make on a communications operator.’ At the time of its takeover by Modern Times Group in July 2012, Zitius was reportedly Sweden’s largest independent open access communications provider, with a fibre network connecting approximately 150,000 households, roughly a third of which subscribed to a service via the Zitius network. Zitius, established in 2003, has built a fibre network in ten cities via partnerships with local councils and real estate firms, and provides network management and service packaging services, while installing, owning and operating active network equipment including routers and switches, but typically does not operate the equipment on consumer premises.