TIM, together with Nokia, turns on the 5G engines for the sixteenth edition of Rally Legend, which kicks off today in San Marino. The event represents an important opportunity to demonstrate, also to the general public of car enthusiasts, some of the main uses that take advantage of the potential of new generation mobile networks, as part of the “San Marino 5G” project which aims to make the Republic of San Marino the first 5G State in Europe.
The initiative follows the recent auction for 5G frequencies put up for sale by the Ministry of Economic Development, in which TIM played a leading role by being awarded, for 2.4 billion euros, a 3700 MHz block for a total of 80 MHz, a 26 GHz block for a total of 200 MHz, and two 700 MHz blocks for 10 MHz available both in download and upload. This result enables TIM to consolidate its leadership in Italy. The new frequencies acquired represent a fundamental asset for the company's future development and, at the same time, the growth of the digitization of Italy.
Important innovations linked to the project’s evolution were illustrated today by the Chief Executive Officer of TIM San Marino, Cesare Pisani, TIM's Head of Infrastructures & Operations for the North-East area, Sergio Schinaia, and Nokia’s Head of end to end solutions for the Mediterranean region, Dario Boggio.
The event was also attended by the Secretary of State for Sport, Culture and Innovation of the Republic of San Marino, Marco Podeschi, and the Secretary of State for the Territory and Tourism, Augusto Michelotti, who switched on the new Serravalle Stadio 5G antenna, the second in the San Marino state in compliance with the 3GPP Rel15 global standard on the 3.5 GHz frequency, activated after that of Faetano. This is the site that services the whole Rally Village area and will support the various applications developed by TIM and Nokia during the competition.
Special 360° cameras have already been activated on the race track so people can experience the excitement of the competition in an immersive way, directly from TIM's stands, thanks to special virtual reality headsets.
Moreover, the “TIM Streaming” platform will broadcast, on giant screens, high definition footage captured by live action cameras placed inside the cars and by web operators who shoot footage of the race with their smartphones, becoming real cameramen and contributing to the filming of the rally.
It will also be possible to measure the vital parameters of some drivers in real time, collected through wearable devices produced in collaboration with the company XEOS. At this event there will also be a demonstration of “virtual tourism”, walking through the streets and squares of Turin and visiting the main attractions remotely.
Nokia's stand, on the other hand, will demonstrate some uses of “self-driving”: model cars that move autonomously and independently inside a circuit and that, thanks to 5G performance, detect situations of sudden danger in real time, such as obstacles and hold-ups along the route, and take the necessary measures.
“We are particularly delighted to be able to work alongside Rally Legend to demonstrate how new technologies can support sports events at an international level,” stated Cesare Pisani, Chief Executive Officer of TIM San Marino. With the “San Marino 5G” project TIM aims to deliver technological excellence to the Republic of San Marino making it the first 5G State in Europe. The activities are proceeding in line with the plans agreed with local government and the switching on of the Serravalle Stadio antenna, together with uses that have already been implemented, represent a new important step along this path.”
5G will be an enabling factor for a series of services able to revolutionise the lives of citizens, consumers and businesses, creating environments where everything will be smarter and more connected. Thanks to this new technology, TIM has set itself the ambitious objective of leading technological development in the country, working with qualified partners to launch the implementation of advanced connectivity services and services related to the Smart City (public safety, transport, environmental monitoring), healthcare, tourism and culture, in addition to uses for media, education and virtual reality.
San Marino, 11 October 2018
