Tomorrow is the kick-off of the "TIM Italia Connessa 2015 – Comuni Connessi" (TIM Italy Connected 2015 – Connected Cities) contest. This is the third edition of this Telecom Italia initiative launched in 2013 to spread the culture of innovation amongst local administrations with the objective of promoting the digitalisation in Italy, along with promoting the spread of fixed (fibre optic) and mobile (4G) new generation technologies and stimulating the use of innovative services.
This year, the contest will involve 133 medium-sized Italian cities with a population from 14,000 to 51,000 inhabitants. To participate, the municipalities must present their digital development plans through the italiaconnessa.telecomitalia.com website by 13 November. The plans must aim to develop the use of digital services by citizens, businesses and local administrations, such as: smart city services, online public services, incentive projects for local entrepreneurship, automation and dematerialisation projects for government processes and youth employment projects in digital businesses. The projects must outline all the provisions that local governments will take to facilitate development of new NGNs, through adopting simplified government procedures, using existing infrastructures and the intention to use innovative excavation techniques.
Once the proposals have been collected, Telecom Italia will carry out a preliminary assessment to determine the degree of commitment of each city to build new infrastructures and then draw up a short list of finalists.
Then an independent specialised jury, comprised of leading figures from the fields of innovation and digital development, will decide which plan is the most innovative and declare a winning city by the end of the year.
By the year 2017, in advance of its scheduling, Telecom Italia will create a fixed and mobile ultrabroadband network infrastructure in the winning city.
With this initiative, Telecom Italia wants to contribute further to accelerate the digitalisation process in Italy, in line with the objectives indicated in the Digital Agenda. Specifically;
Telecom Italia believes that even in small cities it is possible to encourage favourable conditions for the creation of new generation ultrabroadband networks through the simplification of implementation methods and timelines and the development of digital services for the community, stimulating and increasing the economic and social growth of the entire municipal area.
Rome, 29 june 2015
