Italian broadband operator Fastweb plans expand its Next Generation Network (NGN) to cover 27 per cent of the Italian population, or 7.5 million households and businesses in over 100 cities, by 2016.

By that time, about 5.5 million households and businesses will have access to the Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) infrastructure, in addition to the 2.0 million covered by the Fibre to the Home (FTTH) network. Currently, Fastweb has over 150,000 active FTTC and 300,000 FTTH customers, for a total of 450,000 ultra broadband users (80 per cent of the Italian total).

The coverage target for the end of 2014 is 3.5 million potential customers, thanks to the installation of more than 13,000 new street cabinets. This will allow Fastweb to, in combination with the already existing FTTH network, offer ultra broadband services to 20 per cent of the market, as well as to deliver average speeds to active FTTC customers of more than 70 Mbps (90 per cent of connected clients with speeds in excess of 50 Mbps).

Due to the relocation of certain investments, the extension of the network will not modify the anticipated Capex profile for 2015 of about €500 million (10 per cent lower compared to the investments made by Fastweb in 2014).

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