TIM, Ericsson launch “5G for Italy” to accelerate digitalization

TIM and Ericsson have signed an agreement to start the "5G for Italy" program that aims to create an open ecosystem for research and implementation of innovative projects enabled by 5G - the next generation of wireless technology - in order to accelerate the country’s digitalization.

This is the first initiative in Italy that brings together industries, the public sector, leading universities, research centers, local authorities and small and medium enterprises, focused on the development and test of new services that use next generation 5G networks as an enabler.

5G for Italy will also deliver industry pilots of possible 5G solutions in areas including smart city, the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, transport and smart agriculture. The agreement will also allow to detect emerging trends in the Italian and international scene, and to study new technology and business opportunities that 5G technology will introduce in the market from 2020 onwards.

The "5G for Italy" program is an opportunity to develop that applications that can be used both by citizens and industries in the Networked Society.

The new capabilities of 5G span several dimensions, including tremendous flexibility, lower energy requirements, greater capacity, bandwidth, security, reliability and data rates, as well as lower latency and device costs. 5G will bring substantial performance improvements to support future new applications, which will have a positive impact both on people and industries.

The “5G for Italy” program has already identified a number of pilot projects to be implemented: security systems for the management of cycles and automated production processes, logistical tracking of luxury goods, solutions dedicated to mobility of goods within ports, cloud robotics for 5G enabled manufacturing, broadband services applied to automotive sector, management and remote monitoring of health parameters and immersive video services enablement.

The partnership also aims at improving TIM and Ericsson knowledge related the transition from existing mobile networks to 5G, supporting the standardization work to make 5G a global standard.

With the "5G for Italy" program, TIM and Ericsson confirm their commitment towards technology innovation of the network infrastructures and their role as enabler of an ecosystem that can support country’s socio-economic growth.

"TIM once again demonstrates the ability and commitment to contribute to the country’s innovation and digitalization, confirming its leadership in addressing new market segments and anticipating the next generation ultrabroadband development activities in order to offer an increasingly fast and reliable infrastructure to our customers - says Mario Di Mauro, Head of Strategy & Innovation at TIM. This program allows us to develop the new network simultaneously to those services and applications that in the near future will be enabled by 5G for the digital transformation needs of Italian companies and the development of a new multi-media communication for the consumers. It is an important milestone that will transform the society with new business models and will enable citizens and businesses to leverage on 5G potential".

“Ericsson and TIM have a long and successful history of collaboration and this new partnership on 5G demonstrates the key role of Italy in the development of next generation mobile communications. The two companies will work together with industries to understand their specific network requirements in order to realize the full benefits of 5G technologies - says Nunzio Mirtillo, Head of Region Mediterranean, Ericsson. TIM and Ericsson, by extending the program to key partners, will be able to test and give priority to those services and features that will become part of 5G networks in the near future, essential to accelerate country’s digitalization, also generating benefits for citizens, businesses and society".