Iliad is working to build a new network independent from Wind-Tre as soon as possible. Here's what changes for users
It's been more than two years since Iliad has been present on the Italian market with its own offers for the mobile network and soon (it is assumed for the beginning of 2021) it will also launch the first tariffs for fixed telephony, thanks to the agreement signed with Open Fiber. The mobile market remains, however, the primary objective of the fourth Italian operator, which in these two years has had excellent growth, so much so that it has accelerated with the plan to build a proprietary network.
Those who have subscribed to Iliad since the first hour, know very well that the operator relies on the infrastructure of Wind-Tre, but that it is also installing proprietary antennas to become independent. The project began in the last year and despite many bureaucratic hiccups is moving forward quite rapidly. The goal of Iliad is to install by the end of 2020 about 5000 antennas throughout the country to cover about 20% of the traffic of its customers. Full coverage is only expected to happen in the next few years, but in 2021 there will be a boost that will allow customers in big cities to surf using Iliad's proprietary network.
What will change with Iliad's proprietary network
To debut in the Italian market, Iliad has closed a deal to use Wind-Tre's infrastructure. Iliad, however, is not a virtual operator like the various Poste Mobile, Kena Mobile, ho.Mobile and Very Mobile, but it is an operator in its own right. This is thanks to the particular agreement signed with Wind-Tre and the technology used to exploit the operator's network. The technical term is ran sharing and it's a sort of evolved roaming that shows on the users' screen that the network coverage is Iliad's and not that of whoever offers the infrastructure. But that's not all. The ran sharing also allows Iliad to offer a better service.
Quality pays and for this reason Iliad has started working on a proprietary network by installing antennas in the various areas of Italy. The creation of a proprietary network, in addition to guaranteeing a higher quality of the network and a higher speed, will allow Iliad to be independent and to divert all the investments in the improvement of the infrastructure.
Creating an independent network, however, is not easy and above all it needs time and money. Iliad's project is proceeding very fast, despite the lockdown that logically slowed down the work. The goal is to install 5000 sites by the end of 2020 and to cover with its network at least 15-20% of traffic. In 2021 there are already plans to increase the number of antennas to cover at least all major Italian cities.
How to understand if you are surfing on the proprietary Iliad network
For users it is not easy to understand if you are connected to an antenna of WindTre or Iliad. But in essence, very little changes. Both infrastructures guarantee very high speed and good signal coverage. With just over 3000 antennas installed so far by Iliad and for the most part in the center-north and in Rome, it is very likely that you are connected to WindTre's infrastructure, but in the future there will always be greater coverage by Iliad's independent network.