At a meeting in Bologna, Telecom Italia Chairman Gabriele Galateri and President of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Administration Vasco Errani discussed fixed-line and mobile telecommunications infrastructure, and agreed on guidelines for bridging the digital divide and developing leading-edge digital services.
During the meeting, the Telecom Italia Chairman confirmed the company’s significant commitment to developing broadband infrastructure in Emilia-Romagna in order to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the local economy, in particular by exploiting opportunities to implement projects and synergies targeted at the achievement of digital prosperity.
In 2010, the Regional Administration and Telecom Italia worked together to boost local broadband gross coverage on the fixed-line network to more than 98% of the telephone user base, and achieved 87% gross coverage of the mobile network user base. Telecom Italia’s Chairman Galateri noted that in 2010 alone, Telecom Italia invested €129 million in Emilia-Romagna, of which €58 million went on fixed-line and mobile broadband. The company has earmarked a similar amount for investment in 2011, in addition to €136 million invested in 2009 (€50 million in fixed-line and mobile broadband).
A Memorandum of Understanding signed in April 2010 by the Regional Administration, Lepida and Telecom Italia serves as an example of how public/private partnership has accelerated implementation of a whole series of Telecom Italia upgrades to telephone exchanges and network infrastructure.
Telecom Italia and the Emilia-Romagna Regional Administration’s shared commitment has also led to the introduction of leading-edge solutions in mobility, the environment, teaching and healthcare, which now take pride of place among the region’s digital assets.
Telecom Italia Chairman Gabriele Galateri declared: “In Emilia-Romagna, Telecom Italia is active not just as a telecommunications services operator, but as a provider of leading-edge technological solutions that fully illustrate the company’s vocation for moving society forwards. In the light of its experience, Telecom Italia has a positive view of public/private partnerships as a means of developing broadband and broadband-enabled services.”
President Errani stated that as far as the Emilia-Romania Region is concerned, “the priorities in this sector are innovation, job growth (particularly among the young), and opening up opportunities to ensure that all local government bodies, businesses and citizens, especially those based in the Apennine mountains and outlying areas, have access to the internet and its services.”
Bologna, 28 February 2011
