Genoa has become part of an elite group of Italian cities and among the first in Europe to experiment with 5G owing to its “full digital” technological hub, which will bring the next generation of mobile technology and the Internet of Things to the Ligurian capital.
The project entered the operational phase today after a memorandum of understanding was signed by TIM, Ericsson, the Municipality of Genoa, the Region of Liguria and Liguria Digitale. The objective of this agreement is to activate 5G in the city and encourage the development of new applications, making innovative services available to residents, businesses and the public administration.
By the end of 2018, Italy's first Digital Lab 5G will be ready on the Erzelli Great Campus, where testing will begin on the new 5G technology. The project will enable the creation of a true next-generation mobile technology laboratory, which will take advantage of 5G potential to accelerate the development of innovative services that will boost the local economy and the Internet of Things (IoT).
This agreement will make it possible for TIM and Ericsson to begin testing the 5G service at the Great Campus, working with partners to assess the coverage plans for 2019-2020 in view of the forthcoming commercial launch of the service. During this phase, both public and private entities operating on the Campus will have access to the new 5G applications, which is meant to encourage development of innovative solutions and training for users on the specific digital skills. Doing so will enable future development of the technical and commercial offers to meet the needs of the diverse application areas, including services linked to the Internet of Things for monitoring the area and providing information regarding mobility, as well as managing services for residents, public safety, Industry 4.0 and virtual reality applications in the fields of tourism and cultural heritage.
The 5G network will be able to connect a very large number of objects and people, offering innovative services that are simultaneously high quality, customised and highly engaging. Through this initiative, TIM and Ericsson, along with the high-profile partners and administrative bodies involved, can make a concrete contribution to the development of innovative digital services that is consistent with both national and European positioning.
This project and the testing at the Great Campus will be possible also because of the fibre-optic technological infrastructures of Liguria Digitale. Liguria Digitale will actually have a two-fold role: to encourage local companies to participate in the testing and, as a consequence, export the results of this activity to institutions and businesses in Liguria.
Giovanni Toti, President of the Region of Liguria, says: “The Region of Liguria and Liguria Digitale are at the forefront of the development and testing of new technologies. Thanks to significant investments by this alliance in digital infrastructures, and partnerships with companies leading the industry, Genoa will host the first Digital Lab 5G in Italy at the Erzelli technological hub. The new technologies are essential for the development of Industry 4.0, a rapidly and constantly expanding sector that holds a strategic role for the future of Liguria, which recognises the need to convert and upgrade its old development models. Naturally, we have high expectations in terms of jobs in this field in the near future.”
“Testing 5G in Genoa gives a clear message of the focus being placed on our city and more specifically, on the Erzelli technological hub,” comments the Mayor of Genoa, Marco Bucci. “This is an important step for our city, which is opening back up to businesses and paying special attention to hi-tech while simultaneously remaining at the forefront of activities linked to the service sector. Our objective is to expand testing to the entire city.”
“We were among the first to set ourselves up in the Erzelli hills and by participating in this project, we are renewing Ericsson's commitment to the area,” says Alessandro Pane, Director of Research & Development at Ericsson in Italy. “Through our R&D centre, the only one of its kind in Italy, we are able to collaborate to give rise to an open ecosystem for the implementation of innovative projects, experimenting with new and advanced services powered by the fifth generation network. The agreement for the construction of the Digital Lab 5G is an important step for Genoa, which is among the first cities in Europe to benefit from the advantages of adopting the Internet of Things and 5G.”
Fabrizio Gorietti, Head of Sales NW for TIM, explains: “Genoa is now part of an elite group of Italian cities testing 5G. This initiative confirms TIM's commitment to serving the needs of local institutions, putting the best in technology at their disposal. The new network will create an ecosystem to promote city development, enabling residents and businesses to take advantage of innovative services that contribute to boosting the local economy and making public administration increasingly efficient. Our goal is to create a business network that adds value to the area by constructing a permanent 5G laboratory.”
Genoa, 28 March 2018
