The Ministry of Communications, Infratel, a company controlled and coordinated by the national agency for inward investment promotion and enterprise development, and Fastweb, the second largest telecommunications provider in Italy, today signed an agreement to promote the development of broadband infrastructure throughout Italy, with the aim of removing the digital divide.
The agreement arises from the parties' awareness that the unavailability of broadband communication services marginalizes entire economic areas and sections of the population from information flow and the knowledge economy, damaging the rights of the inhabitants and the competitiveness of the area.
In a Memorandum of Understanding, the Ministry, Infratel and Fastweb undertake to share the information on planning interventions in the digital divide areas, taking into account the infrastructure programs implemented by the Ministry together with the Regions and Fastweb's investments which, since its establishment, have consisted in over 3.6 billion euro in the construction of a new generation network.
The signatories also undertake to define the technical and financial requisites for the acquisition of the telecommunications infrastructures on the part of Fastweb.
The aim of the agreement is to identify the viable forms of geographic synergy in order to create an integrated and advanced infrastructure enabling broadband, so as to provide advanced and innovative services. To this end, the Ministry, Infratel and Fastweb will also assess the use of innovative technologies in order to lower costs and shorten the construction time of infrastructure.
A technical body will be established between the parties to monitor implementation of the agreement.