Imagine a kid again at Christmas: we finally were given the coveted toy car. Okay, it’s a utilitarian, but they tell us that we do not need something better. Could not we appreciate it, we tell us. Okay. Except that we look around and all the other children received a Ferrari. And they’re already starting to learn how to play.
It is a bit ‘the situation in Italy with the optical fiber in the year 2015. We have fiber optic connections 20, 30 and 50 Megabit and a bit ‘of 100 Megabit (with only 300 of Vodafone in Milan and Bologna). In Europe, however, this is the year in which the Gigabit attempt to become pioneers solid reality. So much so that those Broadbrandtrends plan to publish a report, this winter, called The rise of gigabit broadband in Europe.
I think what was said a few days ago by the new head of the European Commission Directorate-General Connect, Roberto Viola , which is the highest institution in Europe that develops the strategy for the band ultra wide (among other things). “In some European countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Scandinavia), from September some companies will start to deliver 1 gigabit to the houses; perhaps it would be too much for us, but we are faced with a choice, and that choice can not be the technological leap. Farewell to copper, fiber for all. There is no alternative, continue to speak of a change from 20 to 50 megabits means chasing the past. While we must embrace the future. “
It is true, however, I have to say that the gigabit Viola in homes in the countries of the European Union will not come” September “: alas (for Italy) Gigabit there for ten years in some places, although in fact only in recent months came in the shell of the large operators. But this fact confirms more forcefully the meaning of the words of Viola: the future to which we must look at is the gigabit. All the more so because in neighboring countries is already the present.
So let’s see this in mind. We did a survey of the offers ultra-wideband of several European countries.
CITIES ‘EUROPEAN ALREADY’ GO TO THE SECOND GIGA 1
Emerge that one of the places where it is better to live from this point of view is France. A little ‘because we already knew for ten years, France excels, in the West, for cost and speed of broadband. Now he transposed the record in the “ultra wide”: the gigabit costs 25,99 € with Bouygues Telecom and 35,98 € with Free (coverage is different). The UK is a country historically disinclined to fiber to the home, but still has some coverage cities. The “Gigabit City” of CityFibre : Coventry, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Peterborough, York. Then there are local providers, as Hyperoptic, B4RN, and JT, in villages and islands.
What the “Gigabit Communities” is a phenomenon completely unknown to us: our children do not have providers wanted to run forward with gigabit speeds.
Not to mention the municipalities, for which certain broadband (even “ultra”) is hardly the investment priorities.
in Germany we get to 200 Megabits, with Kabel Deutschland, 59.99 euro per month. The Gigabit is also offered by the operator Zon in Portugal and in Spain by Guifi.net Foundation, but are pioneering attempts rather limited. Restricted to individual city it is also Gigabit Swedes, made through the efforts of municipalities.
Latvia has the Gigabit since 2013 (Lattelecom), but in general all the Eastern European countries (even those non-EU) They have become familiar with this speed. Ditto for Romania (operator RCS & amp; RDS), Luxembourg (Post), Switzerland (Swisscom), Norway (Lyse Telecom). Over the past year there were six launches Gigabit offers to homes in Europe.
Even in the US there has been a recent boom in the gigabit, but still wider in Europe, thanks to the push of Google (Fiber project), $ 70; later imitated by AT & T and Comcast (in prices and speed), while the main operator ultra-wideband (Verizon) still expects to take this step (stops at 75 megabits, for $ 79.99).
GPON, ULTRA WIDE BAND SHARED
Now the only fiber to the home can give 1 Gigabit per second (also 2, in some countries of the Far East). The actual speed in this case varies from 500 to 900 Megabit, according to various tests. We know that these networks are residential GPON technology, where there is a sharing of bandwidth between all buildings in the vicinity. Fiber optic networks “pure” point-to-point, are the prerogative of companies.
In Italy would have already so GPON widespread in homes. You have to have the good fortune to live in Milan and Bologna for the 300 Megabit: with Vodafone (network Metroweb). Otherwise it stops to 100 Megabits of fiber networks in homes (in a dozen cities). This same speed is also offered on fiber optic networks up to the cabinets, with Fastweb and Vodafone. In this case, however, the actual speed is lower, about 75 Megabit, because the last stretch is copper. Over the past two years, the fiber optic coverage has had a boom in Italy, it is true; But not only is lagging behind with Europe, but it also shows with shortness of breath, as operators have boosted coverage only networks with optical fiber until the cabinets.
Expect the Our first gigabit in 2016, then with years later than the neighbors.
WHAT DO TELECOM, FASTWEB, WIND AND TISCALI
The most imminent Is it the use of the best technologies of mixed copper-fiber networks, as announced by Fastweb and Telecom Italy, who now are experiencing. Fastweb explicitly promised a Gigabit in 2016. As for the fiber to the home, Telecom Italy has a plan to cover 100 cities between now and 2018. But still do not know what percentage; certainly not all. Nor does it know when it will start the first city of the new plan: we will have to wait until September, with the results of the Public Consultation in 2015 made by Infratel (Ministry of Economic Development) with all operators. To date, Telecom has a network such only in Milan. Optical fiber until the cabinets, instead, maxes out at 50 megabits.
The other operator plans with fiber to the home (in 600 cities) is Metroweb, with the support of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Wind and Tiscali, but at the moment the details are unclear. Neither is good news that passed almost unnoticed a few days ago: the ultra-wideband government plan 2014-2020 will start to spend public money only in April 2016, so difficult to see the effects before the end of 2016-early 2017.
This is the situation. We are no longer children , but the need to dream the future is still intact as Viola said, “this is the time for decisions.” Italy should decide to clear commitment to fiber to the home and to Gigabit. But not yet shown clearly had decided so. They have not shown the government nor operators.
And time is running out to do so, under the press of neighboring countries. Instead they are running long ago with the future in the eye.
ALESSANDRO LONGO
Rome, July 22, 2015
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