FASTWEB has won the European tender organized by Terna S.p.A. to build a back-up TLC infrastructure supporting the backbone system for control and management of Italy's national electricity network.
Under the terms of the contract, FASTWEB is to build a new back-up network for the backbone system that manages and controls Italy's national high-voltage electricity transmission network, which is operated and owned by Terna, with a share of more than 98.3%. The project involves supply of an MPLS network deploying IP (Internet Protocol) technology, to be integrated with the current TLC infrastructure.
The back-up network will provide the following main benefits:
- greater security on the Italian national grid;
- greater reliability on the TLC infrastructure and the grid control and management systems;
- use of MPLS technology to boost network architecture performance.
"This agreement with a leading player in the Italian energy industry is a further important acknowledgment for FASTWEB from the corporate segment," commented FASTWEB Large Accounts Division VP, Roberto Contin. "Growing numbers of leading manufacturers are turning to FASTWEB to enjoy the quality, reliability and technological efficiency of our latest-generation broadband services."
Between 1999, the year it was established in Milan, and completion of the roll-out in March 2006, FASTWEB invested more than 3.5 billion euro in a new-generation fiber network, which currently covers more than 23,000 kilometers. Business clients account for 16% of the FASTWEB client base and for 60% of total turnover. 2006 consolidated revenues amounted to 1,260 million euro; the client base now exceeds 1 million users.