When in Rome: Open Fiber seeking utility partnership

Open Fiber, the Italian wholesale broadband network operator run by utility group Enel, is looking to sign a deal to use the infrastructure of another utility firm, Acea, to speed up the rollout of fibre in Rome and reduce deployment costs. A report from Reuters cites two unnamed sources as saying that an agreement is close to being finalised. It could enable Open Fiber to reach up to 1.5 million users across the city. Rival operator Telecom Italia (TIM) and its broadband partner Fastweb signed a deal with Acea in 2013 which allowed them to use infrastructure such as cable ducts to carry their own fibre.