Description / Explanation
The project aimed at overcoming the digital divide in the neighbourhood of Coviolo through a broadband wireless infrastructure in a suburban area lacking market offers. It planned to guarantee an affordable service cost to the whole community as the funding of the infrastructure is from public sources (Municipality and regional government) while management costs are borne by the local community members.
The proposal was developed within a participatory process launched by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia in Coviolo This in turn was part of the initiative "neighbourhood as commons" which started in 2015, to promote new arenas of participation for associations and individual citizens. By December 2016, 896 people had taken part in the participatory paths and 64 projects had been defined such as Coviolo Wireless, object of this proposal.
Also, the project is a part of the implementation actions of the Reggio Emilia Smart City strategy. Coviolo is a neighbourhood with 2 468 inhabitants, located in a peri-urban area between the city of Reggio Emilia. Before the project implementation, the local community of Coviolo only had access to low speed ADSL Internet (2 to 5 mbps). The service was asymmetric with less than 2 mbps in upload. Moreover, it was delivered in best-effort mode, without any minimum bandwidth guaranteed.
The benefits of the project are linked to ensuring the access to broadband services to all citizens even in peripheral areas and to guarantee affordable costs for the users.
Basic information
Project type
Organisational
Time frame
01/12/2015 to 31/12/2017
Country
Italy
Scope
regional
Project submitted by
Name
Nicoletta Levi
Organisation
Municipality of Reggio Emilia
Function
Head of Office
Phone
0039 3316073307
Infrastructure & Service
Speed / performance
≥30 Mbps
Infrastructure, technology and architecture
After the project implementation, the users can access Internet with symmetric 30mbps (30mbps download + 30mbps upload), sharing 100mbps internet access that can be expanded to 1000 mbps without any structural intervention.
Financing
Cost structure and financing sources
The project adopts a PPP model of financing. Specifically, the infrastructure was financed by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia with a total of EUR 10 000. The implementation was entrusted to Lepida spa (with EUR 9 000) and NSC of Coviolo. The members of the NSC of Coviolo funded the cost of the installation of the local base station and the 4 sector antennas (EUR 14 582 in total). The management of this part of the network is supported by the local community via the membership to the NSC of Coviolo. The registration as member of NSC is open to all citizens with EUR 15 for a membership card and EUR 10 for monthly internet fee including the cost of maintenance of the property and damage insurance (about 50% less than the average market price). Lepida spa manages the remaining part of the network for the public administration of Reggio Emilia.
Scalability
Actors involved and their roles
The three main actors involved are the Municipality of Reggio Emilia (1), Lepida Spa (2) and the NSC of Coviolo (3) with the following roles and activities:
1) Municipality of Reggio Emilia:
1.1) Support the launch of the project with EUR 10 000 assigned to the NCS of Coviolo for the realization of the wifi network;
1.2) Grant the use of existing broadband infrastructure to Lepida spa;
1.3) Provide permissions for the installation of antennas and other necessary equipment to the NSC of Coviolo;
2) Lepida spa:
2.1) Connect the main broadband hub from the centre of Reggio Emilia towards Coviolo area - about 1.5 km from the NSC - through WDM devices and using a couple of single-mode optical fibre (SMF) owned by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia;
2.2) Create a new hub as 'download site of radio connectivity' - 17 Ghz radio bridge- located about 1.5 km from the NSC of Coviolo which would became a radio reproduction site PMP;
2.3) Installation of radio site pick-up and relay radio relay creation at 5Ghz point-to-multipoint platforms;
2.4) Provide maintenance of the infrastructure and equipment for assistance request;
3) NSC of Coviolo:
3.1) Installation and activation of radio link 5Gz point-to-point for the connectivity of the NSC of Coviolo – as local base station - with the new local hub created by Lepida spa allowing Internet access up to 100 Mbps;
3.2) Installation of 4 sector antennas (2 SA - 90° and 2 SA - 120°) connected to the reproduction site PMP located at the NSC (local base station) to extend internet service to all the Coviolo area (10 square kilometres);
3.3) Installation of CPE in the houses of the individual applicants who become members of the project by the membership to Coviolo NSC: they can then access internet paying an activation fee and an affordable monthly fee;
3.4) Became a local point of reference for information on the service and its activation but also on malfunction reports;
3.5) Ensure the maintenance of the radio infrastructure from the new hub of Lepida spa and CPEs installed in every homes;
The activities of the Social Centre were carried out with the technical support of external experts.
1) Municipality of Reggio Emilia:
1.1) Support the launch of the project with EUR 10 000 assigned to the NCS of Coviolo for the realization of the wifi network;
1.2) Grant the use of existing broadband infrastructure to Lepida spa;
1.3) Provide permissions for the installation of antennas and other necessary equipment to the NSC of Coviolo;
2) Lepida spa:
2.1) Connect the main broadband hub from the centre of Reggio Emilia towards Coviolo area - about 1.5 km from the NSC - through WDM devices and using a couple of single-mode optical fibre (SMF) owned by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia;
2.2) Create a new hub as 'download site of radio connectivity' - 17 Ghz radio bridge- located about 1.5 km from the NSC of Coviolo which would became a radio reproduction site PMP;
2.3) Installation of radio site pick-up and relay radio relay creation at 5Ghz point-to-multipoint platforms;
2.4) Provide maintenance of the infrastructure and equipment for assistance request;
3) NSC of Coviolo:
3.1) Installation and activation of radio link 5Gz point-to-point for the connectivity of the NSC of Coviolo – as local base station - with the new local hub created by Lepida spa allowing Internet access up to 100 Mbps;
3.2) Installation of 4 sector antennas (2 SA - 90° and 2 SA - 120°) connected to the reproduction site PMP located at the NSC (local base station) to extend internet service to all the Coviolo area (10 square kilometres);
3.3) Installation of CPE in the houses of the individual applicants who become members of the project by the membership to Coviolo NSC: they can then access internet paying an activation fee and an affordable monthly fee;
3.4) Became a local point of reference for information on the service and its activation but also on malfunction reports;
3.5) Ensure the maintenance of the radio infrastructure from the new hub of Lepida spa and CPEs installed in every homes;
The activities of the Social Centre were carried out with the technical support of external experts.
Unique characteristics
The project is the result of a community involvement process organised in 2015 by the Municipality of Reggio Emilia for Coviolo. The local community, in collaboration with other actors, designed 'Coviolo wireless' . This cooperative work behind the project has produced a new internet service in Coviolo area which was not addressed by the market. Moreover, the project guarantees an affordable service cost to the community.
Success factors
a) The fact that it can be easily reproduced in other districts. The architecture model of the infrastructure gives a strong flexibility to the project which could be replicated in other rural and periurban areas - Reggio Emilia has a widespread network of public buildings such as schools or libraries and 29 NSCs distributed in many neighbourhood of the city, and these are all natural options for the project replica;
b) the management model: the users are also shareholders of the Internet service. They are members of the NSC of Coviolo which supports all management costs and keeps fees affordable.
b) the management model: the users are also shareholders of the Internet service. They are members of the NSC of Coviolo which supports all management costs and keeps fees affordable.
Project review
Results
a) Improved territorial cohesion: the experience has been considered by the local members as a good result of public participation. "The distance" between the city centre of Reggio Emilia and Coviolo has been reduced by extending the right of access to broadband wifi network;
b) Better access to online public service: the main reason behind the choice of Coviolo wireless by the members is linked with the possibility of using a fast broadband internet in their territory and having access to public and private online services from their home or office;
c) Affordable services: the registration as member of NSC is open to all citizens at a cost of EUR 15 for a membership card and EUR 10 for monthly internet fees including the cost of maintenance of the property and damage insurance. Thus, about 50% less than the average market price;
d) Reduction of the digital divide: in the smart city strategy, the Municipality of Reggio Emilia has organised a training course named "Pane & Internet"; the courses are co-organised with Regione Emilia Romagna and some of them take place in NSC. In addition to that, in may 2017, the NSC of Coviolo has organised independently 5 public meetings and a training course focusing on improving the digital skills of local project's members.
b) Better access to online public service: the main reason behind the choice of Coviolo wireless by the members is linked with the possibility of using a fast broadband internet in their territory and having access to public and private online services from their home or office;
c) Affordable services: the registration as member of NSC is open to all citizens at a cost of EUR 15 for a membership card and EUR 10 for monthly internet fees including the cost of maintenance of the property and damage insurance. Thus, about 50% less than the average market price;
d) Reduction of the digital divide: in the smart city strategy, the Municipality of Reggio Emilia has organised a training course named "Pane & Internet"; the courses are co-organised with Regione Emilia Romagna and some of them take place in NSC. In addition to that, in may 2017, the NSC of Coviolo has organised independently 5 public meetings and a training course focusing on improving the digital skills of local project's members.
Technical potential for expansion, future proof infrastructure
The technical characteristics of the project will allow to overcome the digital divide by providing reliable and ultra-wide bandwidth access through:
1) the extension of the Lepida connectivity service;
2) the re-use of fibre optic owned by the Municipality to activate a high speed radio bridge. Currently, there are no synergies with new or existing infrastructures because 'Coviolo Wireless' is a first pilot model. However, the integration with other infrastructure, in particular energy, will be a further step to reproduce the Coviolo project in other periurban areas of Reggio Emilia.
1) the extension of the Lepida connectivity service;
2) the re-use of fibre optic owned by the Municipality to activate a high speed radio bridge. Currently, there are no synergies with new or existing infrastructures because 'Coviolo Wireless' is a first pilot model. However, the integration with other infrastructure, in particular energy, will be a further step to reproduce the Coviolo project in other periurban areas of Reggio Emilia.