Housing

Home Internet in Italy: Fiber, FWA and Contracts (2026)

By Linda MurphyFacts checked October 24, 2026

Main technologies

FTTH (fiber to the home), FTTC (fiber to the street cabinet, then copper), FWA (fixed wireless), satellite

Check an address

AGCOM Broadband Map (maps.agcom.it)

Fiber to the home

77.6% of households, end of 2025 (AGCOM)

To sign up

ID and codice fiscale; TIM also asks for proof the building is legal

Longest initial commitment

24 months, and at least one offer of 12 months or less

Cooling-off

14 days for contracts signed online, by phone or off premises (30 after an unsolicited home sales visit)

Your own router

Allowed under AGCOM resolution 348/18/CONS

Which technologies reach Italian homes

Italian providers sell home internet over four main technologies. What reaches your address decides your options more than the provider does.

AGCOM says FWA, and sometimes plain mobile access, can be a valid alternative to fiber where speed is not the main concern, such as a second home. For satellite, Starlink's Italian site lists residential plans from €35 a month (October 2026), with that tier only in selected areas.

How to check coverage at an address

1. Open AGCOM's Broadband Map (maps.agcom.it). It shows the technologies and their performance at each address, with separate maps for fixed, FWA and mobile networks. An "estratto sintetico" (summary extract) lists what reaches one address.
2. Ask the provider in writing. Under Law 50 of April 20, 2026, providers must tell you which technologies reach your address before you sign. That information must be based on the Broadband Map.
3. For rural homes, check Infratel's maps (infratelitalia.it). Infratel, the state company running the national broadband plan, shows which areas private operators or public plans will cover. Its separate BUL map (bandaultralarga.italia.it) tracks publicly funded works by town, but was down for maintenance on October 24, 2026.

Some homes will wait years. The builder of the public Italia a 1 Giga plan said it could not connect some addresses. In February 2026, Infratel listed 437,951 of them where no network above 300 Mbit/s is expected by 2030.

How much of Italy has fiber

AGCOM counted 77.6% of households reached by fiber to the home at the end of 2025, up 6.9 points in a year. Among regions, Sicily led at 89% and Valle d'Aosta trailed at 59%.

Cities have gaps too. AGCOM notes that in commercially served dense areas, coverage tends to stop short of 100%, leaving single buildings uncabled. Check the building, not the city.

What you need to sign up

TIM's guide to activating a home line (updated November 2022) lists:

• your name, codice fiscale, the installation address, a mobile number and an email
• an ID: identity card, photo driver's license or passport
• proof the building is legal, such as a recent electricity, gas or water bill, even in a previous occupant's name

The codice fiscale is not optional. TIM's contract requires one validly issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate (Revenue Agency) because invoices are electronic. See how to get a codice fiscale.

For payment, TIM offers direct debit from an Italian or foreign account. Its form for foreign accounts covers the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) zone. See opening a bank account in Italy.

Contract rules that protect you

These come from the Electronic Communications Code (art. 98-septiesdecies), AGCOM resolutions 307/23/CONS and 487/18/CONS, and the Consumer Code (art. 52). As an example, TIM's general conditions charge €30 to close a line and €5 to move it to another provider (October 2026).

Can you use your own router

Yes. Under AGCOM resolution 348/18/CONS, providers cannot refuse to connect a compliant router you choose or charge extra for it. They must give you the settings free.

With FTTH, a provider may insist on its own ONT (optical network terminal) unless it is built into the router. Then you can ask for a separate ONT. If you ask after signing, AGCOM sets 5 working days to install it. With FWA, the provider may require its own antenna unit.

How long installation takes

Your contract must state the activation deadline and the automatic compensation if it is missed. TIM's conditions allow up to 60 days from signing, plus 14 days if you don't ask it to start during the cooling-off period. WindTre says activation takes about 20 days, and its FTTH technician visit about 2 hours.

While you wait, a mobile data plan or a hotspot can cover basic needs. See Italian SIM cards and mobile plans.

Common problems and fixes

A 24-month contract for a one-year stay. Newcomers on short stays report finding only long commitments. Ask each provider for its offer of 12 months or less, which the law requires.

Asked for an Italian bank account. Under EU Regulation 260/2012 (art. 9), a company collecting by direct debit cannot require an account in a particular EU country. Cite it, or pay by card where offered.

The technician cannot finish the job. Newcomers report visits that end without a working line, sometimes because of the building's network. Check the Broadband Map first, keep your appointment records, and claim the compensation your contract sets.

Still billed after you cancel or leave Italy. Newcomers report charges that continue for months, sometimes tied to a modem not returned or not collected. Cancel in writing as the contract states, return equipment within its deadline (TIM: 30 days) and keep the receipt. If a complaint fails, use AGCOM's free ConciliaWeb dispute platform. It needs a digital ID login (Italy's SPID or CIE, or another EU country's eIDAS ID). Without one, go through your region's Co.re.com (communications committee).

Do you need help with this?

If the Broadband Map shows fiber at your address and you have a codice fiscale, you can set this up alone. It gets harder when a rural property needs a working connection on arrival day, or when you must sign up before you reach Italy.