White, grey and black fibre areas

White, grey and black areas refer to the coverage of fibre-based broadband connectivity.  Black areas are densely populated with at least two service providers for ultra-fast broadband networks; grey areas have only one network operator and poor investment prospects within three years of mapping; finally, white areas lack infrastructure and require state financial intervention.

This distinction was introduced by the European Commission (Guidelines 2013/C 25/011) in 2013 on the basis of planned private investments in ultra-fast broadband networks. There is a map on the Ultra Broadband Strategy website which shows the status of works in Italy, with the possibility to check your geographical area of interest.

Investments in broadband networks in white and grey areas are indispensable to combat the digital divide and give everyone free access to digital services. In this sense, institutions have implemented several projects, including the “1 Giga Italy” intervention plan dedicated to grey areas, for which an investment of around EUR 3.7 billion from PNRR funds has been earmarked throughout Italy. 

White areas

White areas are areas where there is no broadband network coverage. In these areas, it is not possible to access a high-speed Internet connection via fibre, because no operator has shown interest in investing. 

White areas can be rural regions, remote communities, or areas that are less developed in terms of telecommunications infrastructure. In these places, connectivity is limited to older technologies such as ADSL or cable.

Large national ultra broadband project - White areas

On 3 April 2019, the European Commission finally approved the “large national ultra-broadband project – White Areas2”, which is part of the “National Plan for Ultra-Broadband”, which provides for public intervention to invest in the national territory, distinguishing between “white”, “grey” and “black” areas.

The Plan is developed in two phases. The first phase concerns measures for infrastructure schemes in white areas, currently being implemented by the selected operator, Open Fiber S.p.A. The second phase involves the development of ultra-fast networks in the country's grey and black areas.

Grey areas

Grey areas are areas where broadband connectivity coverage via fibre optics is partial or limited. In these areas, fibre optic connections may be available in part, but not yet extended to all local homes and businesses. There is only one network operator in these areas and it is unlikely that there will be any further investment in the three years following mapping. 

Grey areas may include specific neighbourhoods, streets or blocks that may not yet be connected to the fibre network, despite the presence of infrastructure nearby. They may be characterised by a lack of investment or by technical problems that prevent full coverage.

Black areas

Black areas are areas completely covered by fibre broadband connectivity.  In these areas, high-speed fibre-optic Internet connections are widely available to homes and businesses. As well as infrastructure, there are also at least two different providers.

Black areas are characterised by full-fibre infrastructure, which enables fast, reliable and stable connectivity. These areas are usually located in urban or densely populated areas.

Living in a black area offers many advantages, including higher connection speeds, better quality online services, and the possibility to use applications and services that require high bandwidth.

You can consult our article to find out how to check Enel Energia's fibre coverage. Please note that you can choose between two Enel Energia's Fibra offers. If your area is covered by FTTH (fibre to the home) technology, you can opt for the Enel Fibra offer. This allows you to reach download speeds of up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds of 300 Mbps. If, on the other hand, your area is reached by FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) technology, you can choose the Enel Naviga Smart offer, which offers download speeds of up to 300 Mbps upload speeds of 20 Mbps.

1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2013:025:0001:0026:IT:PDF
2 https://bandaultralarga.italia.it/aree-bianche/obiettivi/