Italian providers create new company to build out nationwide FTTH network

Once again, a group of Italian service providers have developed a proposal to create company that will build out a national open access Fiber to the Home (FTTH) network.

According to a Reuters report, Italy's communications ministry said the companies signed a memorandum of understanding between these service providers to establish a network construction company that will be charged with installing fiber and building out the network.

While public and private companies can participate in the company, Italy's service providers haven't been able to figure out who would manage and fund the proposed network.

Developing a nationwide FTTH in Italy has continued to be a controversial yet typical battle between the country's incumbent service provider Telecom Italia (NYSE: TI), the government and a host of competitive broadband service providers.

Arguing that Italy's Next Generation Network committee favored Telecom Italia's proposal over their own proposal, the FastWeb, Vodafone (LSE:  VOD.L) and Wind trio decided to withdraw their EUR 2.5 billion ($3.4 billion) open access network proposal from the NGN committee earlier this year. Not long after the trio dropped out of the race, BT Italia, the Italian arm of BT (NYSE: BT), also decided to opt out of the NGN.

For more:
- Reuters has this story

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