The two companies have signed a strategic partnership aimed at offering high-speed connectivity across Italy, enabling high-performance backhaul and last-mile services by integrating satellite backhaul and fiber access in remote areas.
FiberCop, the company running Italy’s most advanced, extensive and widespread digital network infrastructure has signed a strategic partnership with FMC GlobalSat and its 100% owned subsidiary MTNSat (MTN), a satellite network operator, to develop cutting-edge hybrid terrestrial-satellite solutions to deliver stable connectivity in remote areas across Italy.
This agreement represents one of the first architectures of its kind developed worldwide over LEO satellite networks. Altogether, both companies have successfully completed tests with hybrid network architectures that integrate LEO satellite services into terrestrial infrastructures, specifically combining fiber access with LEO satellite backhauling. A fully integrated architecture of this kind has been implemented within a terrestrial network environment using Layer2+PPPoE (a typical protocol for Terrestrial Networks).
This initiative creates a robust platform capable of extending and accelerating high-speed broadband access to remote towns across Italy, more specifically in areas where it is physically challenging to deploy full-terrestrial networks to connect customers.
FiberCop runs Italy’s most advanced, extensive and pervasive digital network infrastructure. With 26 million km of fiber optic cable already laid – a distance equal to more than 600 times the Earth’s circumference – and ultra-broadband coverage reaching over 96% of active lines, the company provides high-performance connectivity. The FTTH (Fiber To The Home) network reaches about 40% of premises in the country, ensuring speed and reliability for households and businesses. With 14 million active lines (as of July 2025), FiberCop is Italy’s leader in fixed broadband access, offering operators reliable and innovative solutions based on a state-of-the-art network that is constantly evolving.
FMC GlobalSat/MTN is a world-class network operator with more than 40 years of experience that connects global operations with the speed, security, and trust required for success. Its multi-network architecture delivers resilient, fully managed connectivity for critical systems and remote teams across the maritime, energy, government, and enterprise sectors. Headquartered in Florida with offices across Europe, the Middle East and South America, the company has pioneered the delivery of converged connectivity solutions on a global scale by partnering with companies such as SpaceX Starlink and OneWeb.
Alma Fazzolari, Director of Strategic Governance at FiberCop, said. “It was an extraordinary moment to witness the first data transfer over a hybrid terrestrial-satellite architecture combining fiber access with satellite backhaul. We were all aware we were experiencing, altogether and with strong team spirit, a historic milestone for the future of telecommunications. This initiative confirms FiberCop’s role as a technology operator for the development of cutting-edge connectivity solutions. The integration of fiber access and satellite backhaul represents a strategic evolution of our infrastructure, allowing us to extend ultrabroadband coverage even in the most logistical and geographically complex areas.”
Emmanuel Cotrel, CEO of FMC GlobalSat/MTN, said, “This project marks a pivotal moment for both FiberCop and FMC GlobalSat/MTN, and more importantly, for digital connectivity and access in Italy. Thanks to the power of our LEO satellite networks and FiberCop’s leading fiber infrastructure, communities around the country will no longer be limited by the cost or physical barriers of laying fiber in remote terrains.”
