09/10/2009SFERA Annual Conference 2009 Improving the deployment of wireless broadband networks in Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) Anna Lisa Minghetti Lepida SpA Improving the Deployment of Innovative Broadband Networks in European Regions

Agenda Emilia-Romagna regional context Regional Telecommunication Plan Lepida SpA Regional ICT Infrastructures Digital Divide and Lepida Wireless Conclusions

Regional Context Surface: 22,123 Km 2 Inhabitants: 4,275,802 Population density: 181/Km 2 GDP per capita: 31,746 € Over 430,000 Enterprises Municipalities: 341 (+7) grouped in 9 provincial areas

Regional TLC Plan Results from the near past… –Regional Telecommunication Plan ICT infrastructures on line services local development …and what’s going on now –Regional Telecommunication Plan (PITER) digital divide reduction citizen e-government use improvement better e-government service quality ICT wide use and adoption from firms Annual regional information society benchmarking analysis

PITER and Lepida SpA PITER –New regional governance (Emilia-Romagna Community Network) Involving the local P.A., building the organizational conditions to answer the real needs and to ensure the deployment of results Lepida SpA –Operating tool promoted by the Emilia-Romagna Region for the: planning, development and management of P.A. ICT infrastructures development and supply of ICT services supported by R&D –Activities are designed and managed in coherence with PITER –Produces innovation ideas for the P.A., creating opportunities for the ICT market and acting as innovation facilitator (not a competitor).

Regional ICT Infrastructures LEPIDA Network –the (optical fiber) geographic network of Emilia-Romagna Public Authorities (one point of presence in each Municipality) –Regional funds (Owned by the Region) –improved broadband availability on Emilia-Romagna territory also for private users Lepida extension: MANs –On going expansion of the Lepida network within the urban areas (optical fiber) in order to connect the buildings of Public Administrations –Co-funded by the Region and local P.A. (each owns its part)

Regional ICT Infrastructures R3 –regional emergency digital radio network –multiservice network (Local Police Forces, Civil Defense and Emergency medical services) –Regional funds (Owned by the Region) xDSL, Wireless and Satellite connectivity –Provided by public operators connecting different Public Administrations to Lepida network Lepida Wireless –Expansion of the Lepida Network within the Digital Divide areas for the Public Administrations purposes –Co-funded by the Region and the local P.A. (shared property) –Concurrently to the realization of wireless networks, by local operators, in favor of citizens and enterprises.

An overall picture

Digital Divide in Emilia-Romagna Emilia Romagna geographical DD –91,4 % of population –wireless: +2% of population Digital Divide reduction –Objective  provide access to broadband Internet to 95% of Emilia-Romagna population by the end of 2009 What we are doing: –Stimulate the deployment of wireless network in digital divide area to provide services to private citizens –Expand optical fiber networks within the regional territory –Cooperation with other Telco Operators (WiMAX, Satellite)

Deployment of wireless network in Digital Divide areas Partnership projects with local operators sharing civil infrastructures to –extend Lepida (optical fiber) network by mean of Hyperlan technology to provide Public Administration access to Lepida services –deploy networks for private users to provide access to broadband internet services by means of local wireless operators (WISP) Foreseen about 4,3 million euro of investments about inhabitants residing in the areas involved by these operations

Cooperation with other Telco Operators Wimax operators –Agreement with licensed operators for Emilia-Romagna region (Aria,Infracom-Acantho, Retelit) to minimize possible overlaps –Identifications of priorities and synergies (in terms of infrastructure) Other private WISP operators –Promote public-private synergies for site sharing, either for R3 or Lepida services, either for public services (like video surveillance) or for services to private citizens. More than 20 WISP in Emilia-Romagna today  2% of population in digital divide

Lesson learned 09/10/2009SFERA Annual Conference 2009 Wireless networks (Hyperlan) Small networks Local operators Few subscribers (rural areas…) WIMAX Great promises...but (very) slow process Satellite Satellite for P.A. applications Past experience…and new systems opportunity to be consolidated in term of cost –benefit for the final user UMTS/HSDPA/… Broadband mobile is competitive LTE Coming soon… …and moreover….

Conclusions How many “divide”? Learn from the past experiences Continuous evaluation of new technologies and opportunities But we need to provide concrete answers Performance Competitiveness Cost-effective Broadband and Services The final user is always the judge Thank You! GEOGRAPHICAL DIVIDE TECHNOLOGICAL DIVIDE PERFORMANCE COST DIVIDE DIGITAL DIVIDE FINAL USER NEEDS DIVIDE KNOWLEDGE DIVIDE … …