An ultra-wide band fiber network is being installed in Sicily, Italy, providing high-speed internet access in areas – both on a regional and national scale – where such reliable and fast service did not exist previously.
- 27 September 2019
The Ultra-Wide Band project covers the entire national territory, and the results already achieved in just one year place Sicily among the top regions of the country in terms of new public telecommunications network penetration.
The project is reducing the digital divide in areas of the country where private telecommunication operators had not invested and where people often had trouble accessing all the digital realm has to offer – from online public services to commerce and communication. It is completing the region’s internet coverage so that high-speed internet, with a minimum of 30 Mbps, is available for all residents. Faster service, with a connectivity speed of 100 Mbps, is available to 85 % of the local population.
All 390 municipalities in Sicily are included in the roll-out of the ultra-wide band network. The project emphasises the Sicily region’s role in the local development of a digital agenda and is being implemented in two phases. Regionally, that included building the network. This phase of the project was completed in September 2017. On a national level, a tender was issued to a private company to operate the network. The project has been a major contributor to job creation in the region.
‘White’ areas
Regionally, the project focused on so-called white areas, places where private operators had not invested in an optical fiber network. A new ultra-wide band network was built in 142 municipalities and towns.
The second, national phase of the current project will be completed in 2022. It foresees the connection of all of Sicily’s 390 municipalities and towns to one network. Through a tender, the Open Fiber company was chosen to supply the regional public network for 20 years.
Job creation
The project has made Sicily the first region in Italy to obtain fiber-optic infrastructure. In one year, it has enabled Sicily to become one of the top regions in the country in terms of penetration of a public telecommunications network. It is bringing fiber into people’s homes. In the past, this was only available to big operators – but now all citizens will have access to an internet connection that is fast, steady and efficient.
As soon as implementation of the network is completed, many significant online services – such as telemedicine, teleworking and e-learning – will be widely available to the local population. This could greatly improve their lives, in particular residents of remote and rural areas.
The project has had a positive impact on the region’s economy at a time when it was facing difficulties. The network created immediate employment opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses in the area. Around 600 people have been employed during the project’s implementation phase.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “BUL – Banda Ultra Larga Sicilia / UWB - Ultra-Wide Band in Sicily” is EUR 268 834 926, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 183 691 630 through the “Sicily” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Digital Agenda”.