(Telecompaper) Italian utility giant Enel has confirmed plans to invest a total of EUR 2.5 billion to help bring ultrafast broadband to around 7.5 million homes in 224 Italian cities. In a statement, the company said its newly-created Enel Open Fiber venture will take advantage of the installation of around 30 million smart electric meters over the next four years to run fibre cables into homes and offices all over Italy. Enel Open Fiber will operate as a wholesale-only player and will build infrastructure for other licensed operators, said the company, with CEO Francesco Starace adding that "installing fibre cables through our electricity network, which reaches the businesses and homes of 32 million Italians, will enable wide-ranging coverage of the country at competitive costs."