TIM, Italy's biggest operator, has said accelerating fiber-optic rollout means almost two thirds (65%) of families living in so-called "white areas" now have access to ultra-broadband.

Connected living: Around 86% of homes in Italy are covered by TIM's optical fiber, according to the operator.

The company says they have provided fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) coverage for over 2,000 municipalities in rural or sparsely populated areas in around five months.

Overall, more than 86% of households are covered by TIM's optical fiber network – with a target of 90% by December 2020 – or 5,000 more municipalities.

Viral driver
A key driver has been increased demand for connectivity due to COVID-19, and the huge increase in people working and learning from home.

All this translates to around 3 million people and businesses who can now access ultra-broadband services of up to 200 Mbit/s via 11,000 roadside cabinets.

The rollout will also continue using Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology, which uses a hybrid system of cable and wireless connections.

TIM is owned by Telecom Italia, and offers mobile, fixed telephony and Internet services to around 100 million customers in Italy and Brazil.

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— Fiona Graham, editorial director, Light Reading