Ministry of Economic Development PRESS RELEASE MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MOLISE REGION, INFRATEL AND TELECOM ITALIA: PROGRAMME LAUNCHED TO BUILD THE OPTICAL FIBRE NETWORK IN MOLISE TO ACHIEVE THE AIMS OF THE EUROPEAN DIGITAL AGENDA Telecom Italia has won the tender launched by the Molise Region and by 2015 it will build the optical fibre passive network infrastructure in Termoli, Isernia, Pozzilli and Venafro, upgrading 8 exchange areas The total investment is 5.7 million euros, around 4 million from public funds and 1.7 million by Telecom Italia Over 31,000 households, constituting a pool of approximately 70,000 inhabitants, will be equipped with innovative digital services, with connection speeds of between 30 and 100 Megabytes per second Campobasso, 27 October 2014 The programme has started to build a new generation optical fibre network in Molise, with the aim of supplying ultra fast broadband connectivity in the municipalities of Termoli, Isernia, Pozzilli and Venafro, as a contribution to achieving the aims of the European Digital Agenda. In fact, Telecom Italia has won the Molise 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 Infratel Italia, the Invitalia Group company appointed to implement the National Broadband Plan and the Ultrabroadband Strategic Project, and approved by the European Commission, envisages public funding of around 4 million euros from the ERDF in addition to an investment of 1.7 million euros from Telecom Italia. The plan was illustrated today by Paolo di Laura Frattura, President of the Molise Region, Francesco Di Perna, Head of Central Italy Open Access Network of Telecom Italia, Francesco D’Angelo, Head of Telecom Italia Central Italy Business, and Guido Citerni Di Siena, Infratel Italia Head of Communication and Institutional Relations. In detail, the project presented by Telecom Italia envisages coverage by 2015 of 4 new municipalities, namely the 3 already specified by the Ministry of Economic Development and Infratel in the Tender, plus another one, which means it will affect approximately 70 thousand inhabitants. The municipalities involved – Termoli, Isernia, Pozzilli and Venafro – 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. Ministry of Economic Development In order to achieve this result, Telecom Italia will adapt 8 exchange areas to allow around 31,000 households to be supplied with a 30 Megabytes per second connection, 3,000 of which will also have the option of a 100 Megabytes per second connection. The latter include over 100 government offices, schools and hospitals, all having connection speeds of 100 Megabytes per second. By 2015, in addition to this project co-funded by the Molise Region, Telecom Italia plans to build a new generation infrastructure and services in Campobasso, independently and with its own investments, to serve approximately 27,000 households. "This initiative is part of an ambitious project that shows how, thanks to a public-private partnership and willingness on the part of the local authorities involved, favourable conditions can be created for new generation networks to be built, even in municipalities that have thus far been excluded from every operator's infrastructure plans". – declared Francesco Di Perna, Head of Telecom Italia Central Italy Access Operations – “Thanks to the contract we have won, an optical fibre network will be built in the municipalities of Molise concerned, allowing citizens, companies and government offices to use innovative services that will act as a driving force for the growth of the whole local economy. One example of these is Cloud Computing, which provides access to state-of-the-art technological platforms and applications that can develop new models of interaction with citizens that are typical of the Digital Economy". "We have decided to fund modernity, thus giving all the people of Molise the opportunity to meet the present and future challenges of innovation and competitiveness. With approximately 4 million euros, the Molise Region has made a very significant investment which is vital for our economy and will guarantee an ultra fast broadband network for services delivered at a minimum of 30 Megabytes per second, beginning with the creation of this extraordinary infrastructure". – stated Paolo di Laura Frattura, Molise Region President – “By responding to the tender launched by the Ministry of Economic Development, Telecom Italia will provide the benefit of its experience in realising a project for which there is great expectation – continued Frattura – and which will fuel comprehensive growth across the region: citizens, companies and government offices will find themselves in the right conditions to be competitive. With ultra fast broadband we are opening up and strengthening our market, our culture and our boundaries". "The primary aim of the project is to build the infrastructure to enable telecommunication operators to implement next generation access networks (NGANs)" - said Guido Citerni Di Siena, Head of Infratel Italia Institutional Relations and Communication - "Another aim, just as important, is to ensure the real and effective investment of European funds that will bring development, employment and improved quality of life to the citizens of Molise. Mise, Infratel and the Molise Region have adopted this mission as their own”. Telecom Italia Molise Region Invitalia/Infratel Press Office Press Officer Press Office +39 06 3688 2610 +39 366.9072583 +39 340.6782905 http://www.telecomitalia.com/media [email protected] [email protected] .