- FiberCop increases its rollout pace, serving 13.2 million premises by mid-2025 and targeting 3 million in 2026.
- The operator is ahead on its 2027 targets and rolling out under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
What happened: FiberCop expands network across Italy
FiberCop (formerly part of Telecom Italia) reveals that its fibre network now covers 13.2 million premises across Italy as of June 2025—an increase of 1 million since the end of 2024 and 100,000 more than expected. This coverage represents 65 per cent of its 20.3 million-premise target for 2027, up from 60 per cent six months earlier. The operator has ramped up its annual rollout run rate to 2 million premises, with ambitions to reach 3 million locations in full-year 2026. A significant portion—1.4 million lines—is financed under Italy’sNational Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), which the company confirms remains on track for delivery by June 2026. The remaining rollout will be executed under FiberCop’s own steam, as soon as NRRP-related efforts conclude in late 2026.
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Why it’s important
This expansion merits attention for several reasons. Firstly, Italy lags behind many EU peers in ultra-fast broadband coverage—only around 60 per cent of households have access, versus an EU average of 79 per cent. FiberCop’s acceleration indicates it could become central to closing that gap. In addition, Italy’s government is considering reassigning underperforming parts of Open Fiber’s obligations to FiberCop to expedite the EU-funded broadband rollout. This hints at a possible consolidation of infrastructure responsibilities and a shift toward a more efficient “wholesale-only” operator model. From a financial standpoint, FiberCop’s ability to deliver rollout 20 per cent under budget and to slash operating costs through a copper switch-off strategy further reinforces a sustainable growth trajectory. My view is that FiberCop’s pace, cost discipline, and flexibility position it as a pragmatic leader in Italy’s digital infrastructure transformation, though careful oversight will be needed to balance consolidation with competition.
