Open Fiber, the company jointly owned by Enel and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti active in Italy in the construction and management of an ultra-broadband fiber optic network, is now a new member of the 5G Infrastructure Association (5G IA), a network that aims to build consensus on 5G technology and encourage its development in Europe.
5G AI represents the private sector in the 5G Public-Private Partnership (5G-PPP), one of the leading 5G research programs globally. For this, it brings together a vast group of players in the digital and telecommunications sector, universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises. The association is engaged in a wide range of activities in strategic areas: research and development projects, technological evolution, standardization, frequency spectrum, collaborations with companies at an international level.
The entry into the 5G Infrastructure Association, which follows the opening of a representative office in Brussels, testifies to the attention of Open Fiber towards the European institutions and the industry of the sector. The company is also one of the first operators to carry out trials on 5G in Europe, in the cities of L'Aquila and Prato and intends to be the protagonist of a real revolution, which will lead citizens and businesses to benefit from new services in the field of home automation , logistics, transport and industrial production.
The 5G PPP was born within the framework of the European Union Horizon 2020 programme. It is an initiative shared by the European Commission and the continental industries of the sector to develop solutions, architectures, technologies and standards related to 5G. The European Union has pledged to invest up to 700 million euros over the course of the programme, while the private sector aims to allocate a total of at least 3.5 billion euros.
The direct involvement of the European Union aims to favor European companies in the research and development of 5G and thus allow the continental industry to be more competitive on a global level. The aim is to confirm Europe's leadership position in areas where it is already strong, as well as to grow in new markets such as smart cities, e-health and sustainable mobility.
With the belief that the 5G network will be able to meet the needs of different industrial sectors, 5G PPP is particularly targeting five key sectors: automotive, health care, manufacturing, energy, media and entertainment.
