AGCOM: OPERATORS WILL BE ABLE TO USE THE TERM “FIBER” IN THE
COMMERCIAL OFFERS ONLY IF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS FTTH/FTTB
Specific symbols will have to indicate in a simplified manner the
type of connection offered
The Council of the Communications Regulatory Authority has approved the
provision that defines the methods with which companies will have to from now on
forward to communicate the characteristics of the different types of physical infrastructure
used for the provision of connectivity services, in compliance with the decree
Law no. 148 of 16 October 2017. The provision, rapporteur Antonio Nicita,
establishes that operators who provide these services via fixed connection
they will have to guarantee, both in advertising messages and in communications
commercial and contractual, full transparency in the presentation of
physical infrastructures on which services are provided. In particular, operators
they will be able to use the term “fiber” (and use superlative or augmentative adjectives alongside it),
without further technical specifications, only if the underlying infrastructure is
consisting exclusively of a fiber access network, at least in the connections
horizontal up to the building (FTTB) or up to the user's real estate unit (FTTH).
In cases where the fiber only reaches intermediate nodes, such as the closet
street (FTTC, Fiber To The Cabinet) or the radio base station (FWA, Fixed
Wireless Access), operators will not be able to use the term “fiber” if
not accompanied by the wording “on mixed copper network” or “on mixed radio network”,
presenting it in any case in terms of equal readability or audibility. In cases where
where the underlying infrastructure does not provide for the use of fibre or in any case does not enable it
the use of ultra-broadband services will in no case be able to use the
term ”fiber”.
In addition to the provisions on the naming of the physical infrastructure, the Authority
has established the detailed information obligations that operators will have to provide in each
case to be fulfilled in dedicated communication with end customers. In the channels
targeted commercial, operators will have to provide the customer with a more detailed description
in-depth analysis that adds to the description of the specific network architecture
also the type of technology used, also providing the possibility for users
to check the browsing speed and the latency of the service offered in upload and
download.
With regard to advertising messages and commercial communications to
public, operators will have to integrate communications with specific symbols
aimed at reporting, in a simplified manner, the type of infrastructure used. With the
green color and the name “F” subtitled “fiber” must be indicated
infrastructure with fiber up to the real estate unit or building, with the yellow color
and the name “FR”, subtitled “copper mixed fibre” or “radio mixed fibre”, the
other architectures with fiber only up to intermediate nodes enabling broadband connections
ultra-wide, while the color red and the wording “R” must be used,
subtitled “copper” or “radio”, for all other architectures that do not include fiber
in the access network and/or which in any case do not enable the use of broadband services
ultra-wide.
The use of the above symbols is started on an experimental basis for a period
between the entry into force of the provision and 31 December 2018.
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