PRESS RELEASE MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CALABRIA REGION, INFRATEL AND TELECOM ITALIA: ULTRABROADBAND SPEEDS UP IN CALABRIA, 30% OF THE WORKS ALREADY COMPLETED IN THE 223 MUNICIPALITIES INCLUDED IN THE PLAN Strong boost for the fibre optic development programme which will allow the objectives of the European digital agenda to be met Telecom Italia, which was awarded the tender launched by Infratel for the Calabria Region, has already completed 30% of the works in the 223 municipalities included in the plan. Ultrabroadband services launched in Rende and Squillace The total investment is over 100 million euros, 63.5 million from European public funds and 36.6 million by Telecom Italia By the end of June approximately 800 thousand buildings will be equipped with innovative digital services, with connection speeds of between 30 and 100 Megabits per second for approximately 1.3 million inhabitants Catanzaro, 23 February 2015 Strong boost in Calabria for the programme to build a new generation fibre optic network in order to provide ultrabroadband and achieve the objectives of the European Digital Agenda. The progress made by the plan was outlined today by Giuseppe Recchi, Chairman of Telecom Italia, Mario Oliverio, Chairman of the Calabria Region and Salvatore Lombardo, CEO of Infratel Italia. Telecom Italia was awarded the tender issued by the Ministry for Economic Development through Infratel Italia, the company of the Invitalia Group appointed to implement the national Broadband Plan and the strategic Ultrabroadband Project and approved by the European Commission. The programme to obtain grant funding in order to create new passive optic infrastructures that will enable NGAN networks in 223 new municipalities involves a total investment of over 100 million euros broken down as follows: public funding of 63.5 million euros from the ERDF and 36.6 million euros from Telecom Italia. “The Government is pursuing the digital agenda very seriously and its plan has the virtue of weighing up the demand and supply of ultrabroadband in a balanced way -- stated Giuseppe Recchi, Chairman of Telecom Italia – The major infrastructural works require fast execution and Telecom Italia has the opportunity to be the one that make them possible as contributing to the development and transformation of the country is our mission. The new industrial plan which we recently unveiled includes, in the three-year period 2015-17, overall investments in Italy of 10 billion euros: this will allow us to reach, at national level, 75% of the population with fibre optics and over 95% with 4G by the end of the plan. The impetus we are giving to fibre optics in Calabria is therefore part of a cutting-edge programme, the backbone of which is in the South of Italy also thanks to collaboration between public and private sectors. We hope that the availability of this modern infrastructure acts as a stimulus for private organizations and the Public Administration to develop new services, thereby projecting us towards a model of digital life capable of improving the quality of life of citizens and increasing the productivity of businesses”. “Today we live in a time of change which is expressed in the digital revolution, which is now changing the very structure of the economy and society – declared Mario Oliverio, Chairman of the Calabria Region -. Infrastructures for the digital world are the focus of our government proposal and stem from specific strategic priorities which we have defined in the Digital Calabria project. Thanks to the broadband and ultrabroadband fibre optic infrastructure which will be built by Infratel and Telecom Italia as part of the agreements between the Ministry for Economic Development and the Region, Calabria will be one of the Italian and European regions to have a connectivity system with the highest capacity and geographical coverage. We wish to seize the opportunities arising from it, presenting Calabria as a region of digital excellence. The prospects opened up through the development of digital services for businesses, associations and citizens are wide ranging and capable of radically changing our region and opening up extraordinary development scenarios in terms of social growth and economic development in all sectors, from welfare to health, transport to territorial government, production systems, cultural heritage and tourism”. "For the Calabria region too, as happened in other regions - declared Salvatore Lombardo, CEO of Infratel Italia - the close collaboration with the Ministry for Economic Development allows us to efficiently plan the resources of the European funds for infrastructural investments which will remain available to the citizens of Calabria for many years. Infratel's intervention will be focused primarily in the municipalities experiencing complete market failure allowing all calabrian citizens and businesses to have access to the new ultrafast networks”. From the start of the works in mid-November up until now, Telecom Italia has already completed 30% of the works set out in the project, with over 700 street cabinets connected to fibre optic, and it has launched ultrabroadband services in Rende and Squillace, the first two “pilot” municipalities where works were completed. The project envisages coverage by the end of June 2015 of 223 new municipalities (155 already specified by the Ministry of Economic Development and Infratel in the Tender, plus another 68 municipalities) which means it will affect approximately 1.3 million inhabitants, through over 5 thousand kilometres of optic fibre. In all the areas covered the municipalities involved will be able to use an ultrabroadband infrastructure that will allow for connections at speeds of 30 to 100 Megabits per second, thus accelerating access to innovative digital services for citizens, businesses and local governments. To achieve this result, Telecom Italia will be upgrading 359 exchanges, which will allow more than 800 thousand buildings to be enabled to 30 Megabits per second. Moreover, more than 980 buildings - including 436 of central and local government buildings, 216 armed forces buildings, over 280 schools and school system offices, as well as approximately 50 hospitals and health facilities - to be enabled to 100 Megabits per second. Besides this project co-funded by the Calabria Region, Telecom Italia has already built new generation infrastructures, independently and with its own investments, and launched ultrabroadband services for families and companies in Catanzaro, Reggio Calabria and Cosenza, confirming the advanced level of infrastructure, while the new fibre optic network is under construction in Lamezia Terme. The 223 municipalities of the project Catanzaro Amaroni, Badolato, Borgia, Botricello, Carlopoli, Chiaravalle Centrale, Cortale, Cropani, Curinga, Davoli, Decollatura, Falerna, Gimigliano, Girifalco, Gizzeria, Guardavalle, Maida, Montepaone, Nocera Terinese, Pentone, Petronà, Platania, San Pietro a Maida, San Pietro Apostolo, San Vito sullo Ionio, Santa Caterina dello Ionio, Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio, Satriano, Sellia Marina, Serrastretta, Sersale, Settingiano, Simeri Crichi, Soverato, Soveria Mannelli, Squillace, Stalettì, Taverna, Tiriolo, Vallefiorita. Cosenza Acquappesa, Acri, Altomonte, Amantea, Amendolara, Aprigliano, Belmonte Calabro, Belvedere Marittimo, Bisignano, Bocchigliero, Bonifati, Calopezzati, Campana, Cariati, Carolei, Casole Bruzio, Cassano all'Ionio, Castiglione Cosentino, Castrolibero, Castrovillari, Cerchiara di Calabria, Cerisano, Cetraro, Corigliano Calabro, Crosia, Diamante, Dipignano, Fagnano Castello, Falconara Albanese, Fiumefreddo Bruzio, Francavilla Marittima, Frascineto, Fuscaldo, Grisolia, Lago, Lattarico, Longobardi, Longobucco, Lungro, Luzzi, Malvito, Mandatoriccio, Marano Marchesato, Marano Principato, Mendicino, Montalto Uffugo, Montegiordano, Morano Calabro, Mormanno, Oriolo, Paola, Pedace, Praia a Mare, Rende, Rocca Imperiale, Roggiano Gravina, Rogliano, Rose, Roseto Capo Spulico, Rossano, Rovito, San Demetrio Corone, San Fili, San Giovanni in Fiore, San Lorenzo del Vallo, San Lucido, San Marco Argentano, San Nicola Arcella, San Pietro in Guarano, Santa Maria del Cedro, Santa Sofia d'Epiro, Sant'Agata di Esaro, Saracena, Scalea, Scigliano, Spezzano Albanese, Spezzano della Sila, Terranova da Sibari, Torano Castello, Tortora, Trebisacce, Verbicaro, Villapiana. Crotone Belvedere di Spinello, Caccuri, Casabona, Cirò, Cirò Marina, Cotronei, Crotone, Crucoli, Cutro, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Melissa, Mesoraca, Petilia Policastro, Rocca di Neto, Roccabernarda, San Mauro Marchesato, Savelli, Scandale, Strongoli, Verzino. Reggio di Calabria Africo, Anoia, Ardore, Bagnara Calabra, Benestare, Bianco, Bova Marina, Bovalino, Brancaleone, Campo Calabro, Cardeto, Caulonia, Cinquefrondi, Cittanova, Condofuri, Delianuova, Gerace, Giffone, Gioia Tauro, Gioiosa Ionica, Grotteria, Laureana di Borrello, Locri, Mammola, Marina di Gioiosa Ionica, Melicucco, Melito di Porto Salvo, Molochio, Monasterace, Montebello Ionico, Motta San Giovanni, Oppido Mamertina, Palizzi, Palmi, Platì, Polistena, Rizziconi, Roccella Ionica, Rosarno, San Ferdinando, San Giorgio Morgeto, San Lorenzo, San Luca, Sant'Eufemia d'Aspromonte, Sant'Ilario dello Ionio, Santo Stefano in Aspromonte, Scilla, Seminara, Siderno, Stilo, Taurianova, Villa San Giovanni. Vibo Valentia Acquaro, Briatico, Cessaniti, Dinami, Drapia, Fabrizia, Filadelfia, Filandari, Gerocarne, Ionadi, Joppolo, Limbadi, Mileto, Monterosso Calabro, Nicotera, Parghelia, Pizzo, Polia, Ricadi, Rombiolo, San Calogero, San Nicola da Crissa, Sant'Onofrio, Serra San Bruno, Soriano Calabro, Stefanaconi, Tropea, Vibo Valentia. Telecom Italia Calabria Region Invitalia/Infratel Press Office Press Office Press Office +39 06 3688 2610 +39 335 6421300 + 39 3346217370 http://www.telecomitalia.com/media [email protected] [email protected] .