Telecom Italia and the Province of Lodi have signed an agreement aimed at the use of new non-invasive digging technologies to create the new network infrastructures and improve the broadband services. The announcement was made today in the presence of Pietro Foroni, President of the Province of Lodi, and Giovanni Moretto, Director of Access Operations Area North-West of Telecom Italia.
The agreement, implementing Law 69 of 2009 “Provisions for economic development, simplification, competitiveness as well as on civil proceedings” for the laying of broadband networks, has a duration of three years and aims to ensure the safety of all the works that will be carried out by Telecom Italia and that will affect the provincial roads of the territory of Lodi due to the installation of the broadband telecommunications network, both as regards digging techniques and the clean-up operations, as well as subsequent future innovations to already existing lines.
Furthermore, the agreement will permit the use throughout the territory of Lodi of cutting-edge techniques and equipment that will reduce the environmental impact and site costs for the laying of the telecommunications networks and improve the broadband services.
It involves the so-called “mini trenches” that allow digging, a few centimetres wide and only 30 centimetres deep, to reduce the social and environmental costs in terms of inconvenience to citizens and administrations by up to 80%, accidents at work by 67% and the time required for the construction of TLC infrastructures by 80%.
The agreement signed today is also part of the "anti digital divide" programme promoted by the Lombardy Regional Government and assigned to Telecom Italia, aimed at promoting the creation and development of broadband and ultra broadband network infrastructures, which will lead to the elimination of the digital divide for 35 Municipalities in the Province of Lodi by the first half of 2013. The creation of broadband infrastructures and above all the dissemination of the services that they enable, will further drive the economic growth of the territory of Lodi.
“Today's agreement is of exceptional importance for the territory as it makes it possible to achieve a strategic objective by using techniques and equipment that drastically reduce the impact on our road system and our resources – states Pietro Foroni, President of the Province of Lodi -. Finally we are getting closer to eliminating the digital divide in Municipalities that were still not able to count on those technological infrastructures that are essential today for families, the public administration and businesses. And we will achieve this goal creating limited disruption to the public.”
“This Agreement, which reinforces the collaboration between Telecom Italia and the Province of Lodi – emphasizes the Provincial Councillor for Infrastructures, Nancy Capezzera – again proves the joint attention not only to meet the requests for ever more efficient services that we receive from the Mayors and businesses of Lodi, but also to introduce to the sites all those innovations that ensure the protection of the public road system and the safety of the workers and users”.
Giovanni Moretto, Telecom Italia’s Head of Access Operations, North-West Italy Area, says: “At a time when development of network infrastructure and the provision of broadband telecommunications services are strategic assets for Italian growth, this major Framework Agreement strengthens the synergies and partnership between Telecom Italia and the Province of Brescia, as we look together to the future. Among other things, we will be using leading-edge, low environmental impact digging technologies such as mini trenches, which reduce the inconvenience associated with roadworks, and bring down risks associated with installation work, benefitting health and safety in the workplace.”
Lodi, 23 March 2012
