Artificial intelligence, the cloud, 5G, smart grids, and new data-intensive digital applications rely on a crucial infrastructure: fiber optics. This is the message launched by Stephen Mazzitelli, Director of Strategy & Business Development of Open Fiber, who spoke at the panel “Wholesale and open networks: from co-investment to data-driven services” as part of the Telco per l’Italia event.
Fiber at the heart of digital transformation
The new digital economy runs on data, but without adequate networks, it risks stagnation. For Mazzitelli, the major technological trends transforming the economy and society all have the same underlying premise: "All the major technological trends transforming the economy and society—from artificial intelligence to the cloud, from 5G to smart grids to other macro trends in industry—have one essential prerequisite: the availability of fiber optic infrastructure. Italy is rapidly closing the gap accumulated over the years and can now count on an increasingly extensive and modern network, capable of supporting the growth of digital services and new data-intensive applications.
Open Fiber invests in Ftth, backbone and edge data centers
“As Open Fiber we continue to invest in the evolution of infrastructure"This is essential to meeting the enterprise market's needs for data proximity, latency reduction, and quality of service. Our role remains that of a wholesale-only, neutral host operator: we provide open and neutral infrastructure so that the entire ecosystem can develop innovative services," Mazzitelli explained.
After deployment, the challenge is adoption
The most critical phase now is no longer simply building the networks, but encouraging citizens and businesses to use them. "Today, however, the main challenge is no longer network deployment, but rather their adoption," Mazzitelli emphasized. "An extraordinary effort has been made on the infrastructure front; we must now accelerate the migration of citizens and businesses to fiber, supporting this process with tools and policies capable of fostering digitalization and leveraging the investments made."
The transition requires tools and policies capable of fostering digitalization and leveraging existing investments. For Mazzitelli, the full impact of digital transformation will only come with greater fiber optic deployment. "Only by increasing the level of adoption will it be possible to fully reap the economic and social benefits of digital transformation."
