CAMPOBASSO (ITALPRESS) – Molise is the first region in Italy to have completed the Ultra Broadband Plan, promoted by Mimit, which saw Open Fiber engaged in the design, construction and management of a latest generation FTTH fiber optic network, aimed at bridging the digital divide in small villages. The milestone was celebrated in Campobasso, at the Ex Gil, headquarters of the Tourism Department, in the presence of Andrea Di Lucente, vice-president of the Molise Region; of the Councilor for digital transition Salvatore Micone; of the CEO of Open Fiber Giuseppe Gola and of the BUL Infratel Italia Plan Manager Luigi Cudia. “Today the completion of the Broadband Plan in the Molise area is celebrated – said the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, in a message to the President of the Molise Region Francesco Roberti -. A national record that deserves to be highlighted for the positive effects it will bring to the economic and social system of the entire region and beyond”. “The digital infrastructure process – added Urso – is the sine qua non for increasing people’s quality of life and the competitiveness of the system throughout the completion of the Ultra Broadband Plan. I want to underline that today’s extraordinary result was the fruit of exemplary dialogue and constant collaboration between many subjects: central and regional administrations, the contracting authority, Infratel Italia and the Open Fiber concessionaire worked together achieving this ambitious objective, to which I hope we will be able to reach as soon as possible in many other territories”.
The works, carried out by Open Fiber after having won the public tender announced by Infratel, saw the construction, with modern techniques and with low environmental impact, of a 1,700 kilometer infrastructure entirely in optical fibre. With a connection that can reach a speed of 10 Gigabits per second, there will be many benefits for citizens, businesses and public administration: telemedicine, smart working, environmental monitoring, management of public lighting and many others. Furthermore, Open Fiber’s optical fiber guarantees energy savings (it consumes over 60% less energy than a copper network) and consequent reduction in CO2 emissions.
The FTTH (Fiber to the home) network – the only one capable of guaranteeing Gigabit speed, as well as very low latency and high performance – has reached 130 municipalities in the Region (49 in the province of Isernia and 81 of Campobasso) with the service already available for citizens. In total, 133 thousand homes and 688 offices of the Central and Local Public Administration (municipal offices, police stations, schools, libraries, hospitals and clinics) were connected.
For Giuseppe Gola, CEO of Open Fiber, “the ultra-fast fiber optic coverage of all 130 municipalities in Molise covered by the BUL plan is a source of pride for Open Fiber, a decisive step towards eliminating the digital divide in the region and the first goal of the social mission in the white areas. The availability of Gigabit connectivity allows the use of all the most advanced digital services even for the inhabitants of the most isolated villages and areas, which represent a resource for our country, promoting its repopulation”.
“Molise is the first and only Italian region to have completed the fiber infrastructure interventions in the municipalities envisaged by the Plan – explained the Councilor for digital transition Salvatore Micone – A great result that makes us proud and which materializes in a promising challenge which offers the concrete opportunity for social growth and economic development of the entire regional territory and local communities, especially in the internal, rural and mountain areas which are at high risk of marginalization and territorial isolation. An important and long-awaited step that goes towards the correct valorisation of the territories”.
“We are particularly pleased to be able to announce the completion of the BUL plan in Molise, the first Italian region to reach this goal – underlined Luigi Cudia, Head of the BUL Infratel Italia Plan -. This is a fundamental pillar of the overall public intervention that Infratel Italia is implementing and which includes, in addition to the BUL plan, the 1G Italy plan, the Connected School plan and the Connected Healthcare plan. All these public interventions in areas of market failure, which complement private investments in the most profitable areas, will bring Molise and Italy as a whole on a par with the most digitalized European countries, thus implementing a complete digital democracy”.
Filip Busz, Head of Unit EU Commission DG Agriculture, spoke from Brussels, according to which “Molise has achieved something truly extraordinary: it has become the first region in Italy to complete its broadband objectives in the framework of its rural development program 2014-2022. This achievement isn’t just about faster internet speeds; it’s also about looking to the future. This is about promoting connectivity for rural communities, particularly in so-called “white areas”. With its fiber infrastructure, which makes FTTH connectivity possible for over 133,000 families in the region, Molise is paving the way for economic growth, innovation and social development.” However, he added, further efforts are still needed to ensure that these same families have the resources and support needed to subscribe to broadband connectivity. This includes eliminating potential barriers such as affordability, accessibility and awareness, to ensure that every Molise family can benefit from the opportunities offered by high-speed Internet.”
In addition to the small villages and more isolated municipalities covered by the BUL plan, Open Fiber is present with a proprietary FTTH network in Campobasso, Isernia and Termoli, with a private investment of 8.3 million euros and a total of 47 thousand connected homes.
– photo Open Fiber press office –
(ITALPRESS).
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