The facility, part of Open Fiber’s national network, ensures high performance and security
High speed, reduced latency, and support for AI, IoT, 5G, and smart city applications
Pescara, 24 September 2025 – The inauguration of Open Fiber’s new Edge Data Center took place today in San Giovanni Teatino (CH), just outside Pescara. It is one of the first facilities contributing in the short term to a nationwide project. Attending the event were Nicola Commito, Head of the “Investment Attraction and Internationalization” Service of the Abruzzo Region; Lorenzo Dattoli, President of Confindustria Abruzzo Medio Adriatico; Marco Pasini, Technology Manager for Central Italy at Open Fiber; Andrea Lazzaroli, Head of Business Market Marketing at Open Fiber; Maurizio Goretti, CEO of Namex; and Milko Ilari, Head of Southern Europe at RETN.
The project integrates large centralized hubs with high-performance local nodes, bringing computing and data processing closer to their source. This significantly reduces latency and enables high-value innovative services, including the use of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, 5G applications, and smart city platforms. The infrastructure, directly connected to Open Fiber’s fiber-optic access networks, is designed to deliver reliability, scalability, and operational continuity. Thanks to a modular architecture, each node can interact with the others, ensuring geographic redundancy, disaster recovery, and intelligent distribution of computing and storage resources.
Particular attention has been devoted to energy sustainability, with efficiency systems and solutions powered by renewable sources. This distributed approach not only reduces energy consumption concentrated in a single location, but also brings data centers closer to end users and local businesses, supporting territorial growth while lowering overall environmental impact. At the same time, the geographic distribution of Data Centers – bringing data storage and processing nearer to their point of origin – strengthens data protection and sovereignty, an increasingly strategic issue for the country’s economic and institutional ecosystem.
The Pescara Data Center is designed to meet the needs of businesses, public administrations, ICT operators, and innovative startups. Customers will be able to benefit from colocation services, hybrid cloud, and support for emerging technologies without bearing the cost and complexity of on-premise management. Integration with major Internet Exchange Points also ensures ultra-broadband local connectivity with the country’s most important data exchange hubs, positioning Abruzzo as a key digital node in Central Italy.
“With the Pescara Edge Data Center, we are making a concrete and tangible contribution to the region’s digital development” – said Andrea Lazzaroli, Head of Business Market Marketing at Open Fiber – “This infrastructure is the result of a national plan to transform how we manage data: not only centralized, but also distributed, close to where data is generated and used. Local companies, public bodies, and startups will find in this Data Center a partner to boost their competitiveness in the digital transition, accessing advanced services efficiently and sustainably. It’s an important step not only for Abruzzo, but for the entire country, as it makes our networks more resilient and high-performing, brings innovation closer to local communities, and creates the conditions to attract investment and skilled professionals. Our goal is to build an inclusive and long-term ecosystem capable of generating value for the region and for Italy as a whole.”
According to Lorenzo Dattoli, President of Confindustria Abruzzo Medio Adriatico:
“The inauguration of Open Fiber’s Edge Data Center in Pescara marks a strategic milestone for our region. Companies need solid and widespread digital infrastructure to remain competitive in the technological and environmental transition. Today, speed, security, and data-management capacity are no longer optional – they are real production factors, on par with energy and logistics. This investment reduces the digital divide and establishes Abruzzo as a central node in national and European data flows, capable of attracting startups, innovation, and new talent. Our role, as an entrepreneurial ecosystem, is to seize this opportunity, guide businesses through digitalization, and strengthen skills. This is how sustainable and long-lasting growth is built – growth that generates value for the region and for the entire country.”
Open Fiber has made 17.65 million FTTH (Fiber To The Home) units commercially available, confirming its position as by far the leading FTTH operator in Italy, one of the leaders in Europe, and the top wholesale-only operator on the continent.
The initiative is part of the first phase of Open Fiber’s national plan to build a network of distributed Edge Data Centers. Facilities are already operational in Rome, Milan, and Pescara, and the network will progressively expand to include dozens of interconnected sites across the country. A widespread, resilient, and sustainable network that will support Italy on its path toward full digitalization and the adoption of next-generation technologies.
Open Fiber Press Office