Telecom will implement the fiber optic program in Puglia. This was announced in a press release by Telecom, Infratel and the Ministry of Economic Development, which announced that the telephone company was awarded the Tender announced by Infratel for the Puglia region and will carry out, within the first half of 2016, in the 148 municipalities envisaged by the project, the passive fiber optic network infrastructures by adapting 192 exchange areas. The total investment is 95 million euros, of which 61,7 million in public financing and 33,3 million by Telecom Italia
The real estate units that will be enabled to supply innovative digital services with connections from 30 to 100 Megabits per second will be 1,2 million, for around 2,7 million inhabitants.
The objective of the programme, illustrated today by Nichi Vendola, President of the Puglia Region, by Giuseppe Recchi, President of Telecom Italia and by Salvatore Lombardo, Chief Executive Officer of Infratel Italia, is to provide ultra-broadband connectivity in 148 new municipalities to encourage the achievement of the objectives of the European Digital Agenda.
This important infrastructural intervention, together with Telecom Italia's NGAN (Next Generation Access Network) network development plan, will make it possible to reach a total of 88% of the regional territory, thus making the Puglia region one of the most advanced in Italy with new generation technological solutions.
Leading the development and digital transformation of the country is our mission – underlined Giuseppe Recchi, President of Telecom Italia – and this important initiative confirms our role as enabler and technological engine. Making the most modern ultra-broadband infrastructure available to families, businesses and the public administration is the goal we are working towards to support the development of the entire territory. We will therefore continue to invest heavily in new technologies and to commit ourselves strongly in this direction, also in synergy with Infratel and the local administrations, aiming to accelerate the implementation process of the Digital Agenda”.
“Today we are talking about a South that works and is one of the most advanced regions at a national level – said Nichi Vendola, President of the Puglia Region -. A South that is preparing to implement Ultra Broadband as something that has to do with the full exercise of fundamental citizenship rights. Indeed, the intention of the Puglia Region is to bridge the gap that still exists today between those who connect and those who are disconnected from the rest of the world, i.e. between those who can have access to knowledge and the possibility of aspiring to a decent income and those who instead it is excluded from knowledge. This is what I mean when I say that for us technological innovation is extraordinarily decisive for following a profitable path towards true social innovation”.
"After Campania, Molise and Calabria, Puglia is the fourth region to start work on the construction of the new ultra-broadband network - said Salvatore Lombardo, Chief Executive Officer of Infratel Italia -. In line with the provisions of the European Digital Agenda, the citizens of Puglia will finally have the opportunity to use 30 Megabit services. This intervention, co-financed by Telecom Italia and the Puglia Region, is part of the National Ultra Broadband Strategic Plan”.
