A common commitment to everyone’s well-being: Open Fiber’s contribution to sustainable development.

Open Fiber works every day to create shared value, to address environmental challenges and current and future social needs, and to lead Italy as part of the most technologically advanced countries using high-performance and eco-sustainable technologies to bridge the existing infrastructure gap and guarantee equal access to the networkNetwork In computer language, the term network defines a set of hardware and software devices which, when linked together, enable the exchange and sharing of resources, data or information. In a computer network, the devices that generate, route and terminate data are called network nodes..

From large metropolitan cities to small towns, Open Fiber pursues its purpose of contributing to improving the quality of life of people, families, businesses and workers by building a state-of-the-art, secure and reliable network infrastructure that respects the environment and free competition.

Our sustainability policy

The sustainability policy translates our mission into 7 commitments that embrace the corporate values, the ethical and social principles stated in the Code of Ethics, the fundamental principles of the Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030:

  • We are committed to connecting the country so as to overcome the digital divideDigital Divide A term to describe the gap between those who can use new information and communication technologies and those who, for technical, economic or social reasons, are unable to use them. Read the news item “Digital divide and social inequality: the role of Open Fiber” to find out more., building a world in which new fiber-optic technology can improve the lives of citizens and represent a driver of change and economic, social and cultural development for the country
  • We value our human capital and support fair and inclusive working practices, striving to create a unique environment where everyone can express their skills and talents
  • We protect the environment and the area where we operate by investing in technologies that respect it and by disseminating an infrastructure that is high-performance and environmentally sustainable by its very nature
  • We promote occupational health and safety also through the adoption of responsible behavior by all those who collaborate in pursuing the company objectives
  • We provide a secure and reliable infrastructure, respecting free competition by offering access on fair and non-discriminatory terms to all stakeholders
  • We believe in the values of ethics and integrity as the fundamental elements of our daily actions
  • We promote and respect universally recognised human rights condemning any types of violation thereof

Stakeholder engagement and the creation of a corporate culture on sustainability issues are central elements of our approach, which aims at creating lasting shared value with all the people we interact with every day. We are constantly striving to reconcile our business plan objectives with our environmental and social commitments, guaranteeing access to a fiber optic network, actively contributing to the growth of the social and economic fabric of Italian cities and supporting citizens, businesses and Public Administrations in the fundamental process of technological growth.



Our contribution to sustainable development

See the ‘2022 Sustainability Report’

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2021 Sustainability Report 

Distinctive factors and contribution to the SDGs

Aware of its role as an enabler, Open Fiber aims not only to reduce the potentially negative impacts of its activities on people, the economy and the environment, but to create a business that can make a positive and solid contribution to sustainable development.

In view of this, the distinguishing factors of Open Fiber’s commitment to sustainability are:

In taking measures to minimise the overall impact on the environment and local area in the business value chain, Open Fiber seeks out innovative solutions and technologies that guarantee a high-performance and environmentally sustainable network infrastructure.

In its role as an enabler of the country’s digital transformation, Open Fiber develops innovative technological solutions thanks to a top-quality and efficient fiber-optic infrastructure that guarantees extremely high performance, the only one which is capable of supporting the evolution of the service offering (future-proofFuture-proof Fiber optics is referred to as ‘future-proof’ because it is the only solution that can evolve and support increasing transmission capacities, which in the future may reach up to 40 Gbps, supporting the most advanced services and the potential of new technologies that will arrive in the coming years.).

Open Fiber offers training, development and socio-welfare programmes to support people’s well-being, a welfare system that meets their needs and guarantees the occupational health and safety of all those who help the company in any capacity in achieving its objectives; it believes that diversity and plurality are values for an open, stimulating and innovative environment capable of promoting effective and virtuous behaviour; it develops initiatives and projects that aim to guarantee equal opportunities, inclusion and community participation.

Open Fiber is committed to conducting responsible business along the entire value chain, placing integrity and respect for rules at the centre, with core principles of the corporate culture that guide relations with all stakeholders.

Open Fiber strongly believes in the potential of fiber optics as a tool to reduce inequalities, distribute opportunities more equitably and support the transformation towards sustainable development that protects the environment and people. It is with this in mind that Open Fiber actively contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in 2015 by the United Nations (UN) with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through its own distinctive factors.

Fiber optic as driver of sustainability

One of the issues addressed within the context of sustainable development regards the field of technology. The latter can have a dual impact on the environment and the community; while it has the potential to contribute positively in terms of innovation and development, it can also have detrimental effects on people and the environment. This is the substantial difference between future-proof and non-future-proof technologies.

We at Open Fiber have always been committed to implementing technological systems, investing in technologies that are capable of improving people’s lives and the quality of the environment in which we live. To do this, we are dedicated to building a modern and resilient network infrastructure with a low environmental impact technology throughout its life cycle.

The fiber optic is an environmentally sustainable technological solution before, during and after installation. They are therefore very different from copper cabling which, on the contrary, has a large environmental impact. Less invasive operations in the local area, lower maintenance requirements, high and consistent performance over the long term are just some of the aspects that make the use of FTTHFTTH “Fiber to the Home” is the technology that connects POPs, located in exchanges, to end users’ property units with fiber optics. technology for the deployment of ultra-broadbandBroadband The term broadband, in telecommunications, generally refers to the transmission and reception of information data at a connection speed of over 144 kb/s. Broadband organises different channels, conveying different content in the form of data, such as Internet radio, animation, audio files and high-definition video. networks more advantageous. Further advantages from the use of fiber optics are the optimisation of digital services: better connection performance actually encourages the use of technology in everyday life (e.g. for banking transactions, buying tickets digitally, consulting documents, etc.). With a greater use of digital elements comes a lower environmental impact.

Open Fiber’s commitment to supporting sustainable development leaves nothing to chance. In order to contribute even more heavily to environmental protection and the fight against climate change, a big part of our network has been built by upgrading existing infrastructure or by using environmentally friendly excavation techniques, such as mini-trenching and no-dig excavations.

Open Fiber’s involvement in the pursuit of sustainable development is not only about its environmental impact. Another issue close to our hearts is the preservation of the landscape and the archaeological and monumental heritage. Italy’s rich land and biodiversity make implementing interconnection policies that respect the beauty of our country’s places essential.

A ‘certified’ effort

At the beginning of 2023, Open Fiber was the first company in Italy to obtain the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) certification. The ESG Certification is a non-accredited standard developed by SGS (the world’s leading providerProvider The term ‘provider’ is often used to identify the so-called Internet Service Provider (ISP), i.e. the entity that offers users access to the Internet via a remote connection using a telephone line or broadband. of inspection, verification, testing and certification services) to assess the management of environmental, social and governance aspects within an organisation. The ESG certificate is awarded to an organisation that is able to meet the criteria summarising the requirements of ESG best practices and the most widely used sustainability standards.

This important recognition came after the policies and practices implemented by Open Fiber were carefully analysed and, in addition to confirming its commitment to sustainability in recent years, it has enabled the company to develop consolidated and verifiable internal processes with a view to continue along the path of improvement in order to achieve its ESG objectives and to improve performance progressively.

ESG certificate

downloadDownload The action of downloading or retrieving data from the network.

Possible growth towards more sustainable alternatives

See the executive summary from the 2022 Sustainability Report

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