The market and financial analysts seem to have already made their bet: the single pole of towers in Italy is close to being built. Nonetheless, everything is still, at least apparently. Times could be ripe and even the Undersecretary for Communications, Antonello Giacomelli, without prejudice to the decisive role of the public, appears convinced and indeed observes, with regret, that we are late. But, concretely, in what terms, with what corporate form, with what objectives and responsibilities this pole should be realized, the working hypotheses are still not very explicit. The various subjects directly involved - Rai Way, Ei Towers, Inwit in the first place - converge on the industrial rationale of such a project and little more. In the meantime, a far-reaching technological "earthquake" is looming on the horizon in the telecommunications perimeter: the application of the Community directives on the reallocation of transmission frequencies around 700 Mhz. What consequences can you imagine for the future of the multimedia and audiovisual market in our country? Here are the answers from Undersecretary Giacomelli to FIRSTonline
Mr Giacomelli, you said in recent days that you see the aggregation process of the companies that manage the radio and television signal transmission towers, Rai Way and Ei Towers in the first place, and other operators who may be interested, positively. Provided that this initiative can take place with the stake of strong public scrutiny. How do you think the current legislative limits can be overcome?
«I do not wish for any overcoming of the legislative context. I only confirm that the government welcomes the creation of a strong Italian subject in the sector and I also confirm the condition set in 2015 by the Council of Ministers of a decisive role for the public».
What model should this new subject inspire and with what time frame do you think that the single pole of the towers can materialize?
«As for the times, I think that the single pole should have already been a reality and I regret that it is still a hope. As far as the model is concerned, I believe that we are entering a territory where it is not up to politics to enter, a border that politics must not cross. If anything, it is up to the protagonists of the operation to make an assessment of the risks and opportunities offered by the market in order to choose the best industrial plant net of the potential to be exploited».
In the next few years, community provisions regarding the reallocation of the so-called "precious frequencies" around 700 Mhz should be launched. Do you believe that this process can somehow intersect with that of the birth of a single pole of towers in Italy?
«In my opinion, these are two distinct paths. Even if it is true that the liberation of the 700 Mhz band will also lead to the overall redefinition of the frequency management methods because in fact the spaces will be reduced. In such a scenario, a strong subject under public control, and this can be the unifying concept between the two paths, can reasonably present itself as a unique and privileged interlocutor to favor a more rational and efficient use of the spectrum».
In this regard, as a result of possible new ways of distributing and using audiovisual content, in what terms can we imagine a different scenario for DTT broadcasting?
«As a government, we have never expressed a dirigiste idea either in this or in other sectors. I think that the task of the institutions is to trace a path that allows for the creation of the preconditions for which the various subjects can then freely exercise their development plans and their creativity».
The near future sees a strong development of technological innovations in the entire perimeter of TLCs: broadband and ultra-broadband, 5G and therefore strong acceleration towards the Internet of things, home automation and robotics, etc. To what extent do you think our country is equipped to face these challenges?
«We have recovered much of the delay accumulated in recent years and a large part of the penalization that the country has suffered from the privatization of the incumbent and of the network itself. The national broadband plan is certainly a choice that puts Italy in a better position than other countries to face the challenges of innovation. Now it is necessary to demonstrate the same strategic vision and the same determination in implementing a policy that allows Italy to play a similar role in the construction of services. In the next few weeks we will demonstrate how Italy is a candidate to lead the way on the international scene on 5G with concrete choices and not with speeches".
