The proposed tie-up between Italian high speed network companies Metroweb and Enel Open Fiber (EOF) should be completed within the next few months, though it is looking increasingly likely that it will not meet its original 3 July deadline, a report from Il Messaggero suggests. Utility firm Enel, which has said it will pump EUR2.5 billion (USD2.8 billion) into its newly created EOF unit to roll out high speed fibre infrastructure, is looking to combine EOF with Milan-based fibre network operator Metroweb. Metroweb is currently owned by investment fund F2i, state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and the Swiss telco Swisscom via its Italian ISP Fastweb.
Separately, Fastweb has now upgraded its fibre networks in 24 cities to offer peak download rates of 200Mbps. The firm is looking to have covered 50% of the population – equivalent to some 13 million premises in 500 cities – with 200Mbps connectivity by 2020. Fastweb currently offers a 100Mbps broadband service to around ten million premises in 200 cities.