TIM Brasil completes first phase of FTTx project with ZTE

TIM Brasil, Telecom Italia's (NYSE: TI) Brazil telecom subsidiary, on Monday completed the first phase of its Fiber to the X (FTTx) broadband project in Sao Paulo with ZTE (Shenzhen: 000063.SZ).

ZTE won a 60 percent piece of the first phase of TIM Brasil's ultra broadband project, providing various FTTx solutions including a multi-service access network (MSAN).

The Shenzhen, China-based vendor said its MSAN integrated access system is a last mile system that can carry voice and broadband data over both fiber and copper lines with support for a variety of interfaces, including VDSL, point-to-point fiber and GPON.

Offered under its new "Live" brand name, the service provider's FTTx network incorporates a mix of Fiber to the Curb/Fiber to the Building (FTTC/FTTB) network configurations.

As a new entrant into Brazil's residential wireline market, TIM has high hopes for its FTTx broadband project. When the service provider's FTTB service goes live in Q3, TIM said it will be deliver 100 Mbps speeds to residential customers. By 2017, it has set a goal of acquiring 1 million subscribers by 2017 and that it can "break even" by 2015.

Seeing an opportunity to be a player in Brazil's growing broadband market, TIM acquired 5,500 km of fiber cabling in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro via its $998 million purchase of Brazilian infrastructure provider AES Atimus in July 2011.

Of course, TIM will face strong competition from other players such as Telefonica Brazil's Vivo Participacoes, which recently began offering its new IPTV service over its Fiber to the Home (FTTH) network in Sao Paulo.

For more:
- see the release

Related articles:
TIM Brasil to offer its FTTX service under the 'Live' brand
Brazil's TIM to debut FTTH service in Q3, looks to expand wireless backhaul network
TIM Brazil to build fiber network to serve rural areas
Brazil telcos get green light to offer TV service