The programme to build a new generation network in optic fibre in Campania, with the aim of supplying ultrabroadband connectivity in 119 new municipalities to achieve the aims of the European Digital Agenda starts in Giffoni Valle Piana (Salerno).
In fact, Telecom Italia has won the Campania Region Tender to obtain grant funding for an investment programme to create new passive optic infrastructure that will enable NGAN (Next Generation Access Networks), which will be able to supply innovative services to citizens, enterprises and government. The Tender, issued by the Ministry of Economic Development through the Infratel company, and approved by the European Commission, envisages public funding of 118 million euros from European FESR funds, with a 57 million investment by Telecom Italia.
The plan was explained today by Guido Trombetti, vice President of the Campania Region with responsibility for Innovation, Paolo Russomando, Mayor of Giffoni Valle Piana, Roberto Opilio, Telecom Italia Head of Technology, and Domenico Tudini, Chairman and Managing Director of Infratel, with the General Director for Electronic Communication Services of the Ministry of Economic Development, Rosanna Lanzara and Director of the Giffoni Experience, Claudio Gubitosi.
In detail, the project presented by Telecom Italia envisages coverage by 2015 of 119 new municipalities, namely the 80 already specified by the Ministry of Economic Development and Infratel in the Tender, plus another 39 municipalities, which means it will affect approximately 3 million inhabitants. The municipalities involved will be able to use connections with ultrabroadband technology at speeds of 30 to 100 Megabytes per second in all the areas covered, thus accelerating access to innovative digital services for citizens, enterprises and local government.
Under this programme, Giffoni Valle Piana is the first municipality in Campania in which the new generation ultrabroadband network has been completed, thanks to the installation of 16 kilometres of optic fibre cable, almost half of which with innovative non-invasive excavation techniques, connecting 25 street cabinets to their exchanges and reaching over 4,800 households. Optic fibre connections have also been created for the main government premises, including the Cittadella del Cinema. Telecom Italia plans to offer the new ultrabroadband services to citizens and enterprises by the end of July.
To achieve this result, Telecom Italia will be upgrading 173 exchanges, which will allow around 1 million households to be enabled to 30 Megabytes per second and 166 thousand households, as well as all government premises, schools and hospitals to be enabled to 100 Megabytes per second.
Telecom Italia estimates that by the end of this year 36 municipalities and 52 exchange areas will have been reached, creating optic infrastructure to enable 30 Megabyte per second services for approximately 470 thousand households.
In addition to this project cofinanced by the Campania Region, Telecom Italia is also creating new generation infrastructure and services in a further eight cities in the Region (including the 5 provincial capitals) at its own initiative and its own expense.
In the words of Roberto Opilio, Telecom Italia Head of Technology - “The aim of this initiative is to contribute to accelerate the digitalisation of the Country, in line with the aims set out in the European Digital Agenda. This is an ambitious project that demonstrates how, thanks to a public-private partnership and the proactive willingness of the Local Authorities involved, it is possible to create conditions favourable to the creation of new generation networks even in municipalities that were previously excluded from the infrastructure plans of all the Operators. We are particularly proud that Giffoni is the first of the municipalities in the Campania Tender, which we won, where the optic fibre passive network infrastructure is already operational. This will enable citizens and enterprises to use innovative services that can contribute to the economic development of the local economy”.
“The Campania Region was the first Italian region to benefit from a public invitation to tender to identify and finance through public-private cofinancing, an Investment project presented by private Operators to create an ultrabroadband passive access network that can guarantee services at speeds at 100 Mb/s or 30 Mb/s”- said Guido Trombetti, vice President of the Campania Region with responsibility for Innovation - “While the presence of market failure conditions remains a constraint, the strategic vision that led to the determination of the infrastructure areas - concluded Guido Trombetti - is based on criteria of demographic coverage, coverage of the major production centres (industrial development areas (ASI) and industrial districts) and (high reliability) coverage of strategic hospital sites, so that the infrastructure supplied is able to handle major data traffic to enable electronic healthcare services (Telemedicine, Electronic Patient Records) to be created in the area”.
"The primary aim of the project is to build the infrastructure to enable telecoms operators to implement ultrabroadband access networks (NGANs)" - said Domenico Tudini, Chairman and Managing Director of Infratel - "Another aim, just as important, is a real and effective investment of European funds that will bring development, employment and improved quality of life to the citizens of Campania. Mise, Infratel and the Campania Region have adopted this mission as their own”.
Giffoni Valle Piana (SA), 23 July 2014
