Berne, 28 April 2011
Swisscom will rollout the next-generation high-speed communications network in Zug over the next few years. FTTH (Fibre to the Home) deployment is essential in order to be able to meet the future bandwidth requirements of businesses and private households, i.e. the need for even faster Internet access. Swisscom will initially push ahead with the rollout on its own. However, it is also open to cooperation with the Zug water utilities company, Wasserwerken Zug (WWZ). Both companies are already holding discussions concerning a coordinated approach. Swisscom will install at least four fibres per household and business. Thanks to non-discriminatory access to the Zug fibre-optic network, providers not wishing to invest in the new network will still have access, thereby continuing to promote competition in the telecommunications market. Customers in particular will benefit from supplier diversity since they will be able to choose from a wide range of offerings.
Swisscom is currently rolling out fibre to households and businesses in 23 cities, municipalities and cantons, including in nine places with a cooperation partner: Basel, Berne, Freiburg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Pfyn, St. Gallen and Zurich. Swisscom is also engaged in discussions with over a hundred municipalities, regions and utilities, over thirty of which are at an advanced stage. An overview of the locations where Swisscom is rolling out FTTP can be found at www.swisscom.ch/fiber.