Ultra Broadband Plan, new data on works
Ultra Broadband Plan: 7,807 projects approved
The Italian Strategy for the Band Ultralarga (BUL), approved by the government in March 2015, envisages the construction of a public network in approximately 7,000 municipalities considered to be of little "profitable" by private operators. Up to now the amount of the works ordered from the concessionaire (Open Fiber) amounts to approximately 1.42 billion euros (almost 21 million in January).Since the start of the plan, 7,807 final projects have been approved in 5,802 municipalities in the 20 regions. There are 3,879 construction sites in 2,807 municipalities (164 in 130 municipalities in January). Testing was passed in 711 out of 874 municipalities (34 in January), while the commercialization of the service (FTTH and FWA) is available in 1,774 municipalities (43 in January). In practice, about 25% of the total number of municipalities in the white area.
As highlighted by Asstel, the bureaucracy represents a real ballast. The slowness is due to the numerous authorizations that must be issued by different bodies. Only to start the excavation works it is possible to wait up to 250 days.
Infratel and Open Fiber have identified some measures to speed up the implementation of the BUL Plan, including joint working groups, technical-procedural simplifications use of minicabs and marketing of services even in the absence of testing (during a state of health emergency).
Infratel also communicated the contractual penalties paid by Open Fiber for the delays in the presentation of the final design relating to the four phases of tender 1 and 2: 3,412,000 euros. Another 6,215,250 euros were contested in January.
Source: Infratel
