Kicking off its recently declared plan to explore non-satellite options, the Italian subsidiary of Sky is teaming with fibre optic communication network provider Open Fiber to drive long-term growth in fibre and pay-TV services.
The deal will give Sky access to Open Fiber's fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network which is set to reach the 271 main urban areas of the country by 2022. The initial offering from the partnership will be a fibre-only service from summer 2019, available alongside Sky's existing services.
Sky assured that as more content is delivered to consumers over the internet, its fibre offer will aim to bring together its best content with the best connectivity available in the Italian market. Content will include that from Disney, Fox, HBO as well as Sky original productions such as Babylon Berlin, Gomorrah and The Young Pope. The TV offering will be serviced direct to customers via Sky which, starting from 2019, will also be delivered via the internet as well as by satellite.
"Sky's mission is to be at the centre of both innovation in the TV industry and the digitalisation process of Italy. This agreement with Open Fiber is an important next step," commented Sky Italia CEO Andrea Zappia. "We believe that pay-TV has significant room for growth and fibre represents an innovative and simple way to deliver more quality TV and on-demand content into the heart of Italian homes. The combination of the Sky Q experience, exclusive content and our passion for our customers will make this offer unique. At the same time, the outstanding quality of Sky's service will accelerate the take-up of fibre as is already happening in other European countries."
Added Open Fiber CEO Elisabetta Ripa: "We strongly believe that our wholesale-only business model is the best way to accelerate the roll out and penetration in Italy of innovative ultra-broadband services, provided on a pure fibre infrastructure. This strategic agreement is a milestone to promote the advantages and the potential of our active TLC services, designed to deliver a superior customer experience."
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