Iliad is continuing to enlarge its proprietary network to offer an ever better service. Here's all the latest news
Iliad's work continues undaunted in the creation of a proprietary network capable of covering the whole country in the shortest time possible. The objective of the telephone operator is to build an independent network within a couple of years, so that it no longer has to depend on WindTre. Iliad customers know very well that initially the operator signed an agreement with WindTre in order to offer a widespread coverage of the Italian territory.
The agreement is still in place and will continue for a few years, but in the meantime Iliad has begun work to install proprietary facilities for the construction of an independent network. At the moment, according to data provided by UniversoFree, there are more than 4300 antennas installed by the operator, a continuous growth even during the lockdown period. The goal is to exceed 5000 by the end of 2020 and to give a strong acceleration throughout 2021, the year in which Iliad also hopes to make its debut in the fixed telephony sector.
Iliad, independent network for better quality
Iliad, although it currently relies on WindTre's network, is not a virtual operator like the various Kena Mobile, Very Mobile, ho.mobile and Poste Mobile, but a real operator. This is thanks to the agreement signed with WindTre that allows Iliad to use a particular technology for the network. It's called ran sharing and it's an evolved roaming that shows on the users' screen that the network coverage is Iliad's and not those who provide the infrastructure. Despite this kind of agreement, Iliad has still decided to focus on building a proprietary network, with a long-term project and that should be completed in the next few years.
For the moment, the antennas mounted are about 4300 and are located mainly around large cities. In the coming months, the expansion plan will start towards slightly smaller cities, in order to cover the whole country. From the data shown by UniversoFree, for example, three regions still do not have any antenna installed: Molise, Valle d'Aosta and Basilicata.
Iliad, what will happen with the offers for the fixed network
The moment in which Iliad will land in the fixed network sector is also approaching. A few weeks ago, the agreement with Open Fiber was announced, which will allow the operator to take advantage of a super fast network that is slowly expanding throughout Italy. For the fixed network, Iliad's policy will be different: it will not build a proprietary network, but will continue to rely always on that of Open Fiber.
As for rates and offers, however, the policy will always be the same: low prices without any hidden costs. The announcement of the first offers should take place by the end of 2020, the beginning of 2021, with the official debut set for next year.