Open Fiber, which builds and operates an ultra-fast fiber optic network throughout Italy, has already laid over 2,000 kilometers of new cables as part of Backbone 2.0, a project launched in 2025 to strengthen the national network and establish new high-capacity connections between major cities. The backbone can be referred to as the network's "spine": the infrastructure that permits massive volumes of data to be transported over great distances while also connecting cities and critical centers. With Backbone 2.0, Open Fiber adds new connections to the current network, increasing available capacity and providing alternate pathways for data traffic. The plan aims for more than 3,200 kilometers of new cables, with completion due in the first half of 2027. The investment addresses the increased need for capacity caused by the development of data centers, industrial areas, and new digital ecosystems, as well as the introduction of new submarine cable systems on Italian shores. Six major routes will be available by September 2026: Genoa-Rome, passing through Sestri Levante, La Spezia, Livorno, Follonica, Grosseto, and Tuscania; Milan-Genoa; Milan-Bologna, passing through Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Modena; Bologna-Rome, passing through Florence, Arezzo, and Viterbo; Milan-Padua, passing through Bergamo and Vicenza; and Padua-Bologna. The project will continue along the Adriatic route between Bologna and Bari, traveling through Ancona and Genoa to Turin, completing the planned expansion.