The Piedmont
Region And Eutelsat Communications Announce A
Shared Commitment To Bridge The Digital Divide
10 July 2008
Italy's Piedmont Region, together with Eutelsat,
announced the signature of a Memorandum of
Understanding to leverage satellite technology
to accelerate the availability of digital
services for all of Piedmont's citizens
irrespective of their location.
At the end of 2007 Eutelsat launched a
new-generation satellite broadband service
called Tooway™, which can extend broadband to
consumers located beyond range of high-speed
terrestrial networks. Tooway™ is provided using
capacity on Eutelsat's HOT BIRD™ 6 and EUROBIRD™
3 satellites and on-ground infrastructure
operated from the SkyPark teleport in Turin
managed by Eutelsat's affiliate Skylogic. The
Tooway™ service delivers an affordable 2 Mbps
service to consumers and is totally independent
of terrestrial connectivity.
In order to develop its WI-PIE programme
(Wireless Piemonte), the Piedmont Region, in
collaboration with CSI-Piemonte, TOP-IX, CSP and
IRES, is committed to bridging the digital
divide throughout its territory by the end of
2008, with a guaranteed availability of
broadband connectivity for all citizens. The
Region is officially including Eutelsat's
satellite technology as a complement to ADSL and
terrestrial wireless technologies in order to
achieve full broadband coverage of all 1,206
communities for consumers and enterprises. The
Piedmont Region is also committed to raising
awareness of the availability of broadband
access and will initiate promotional activities
to stimulate demand for innovative and high
added-value digital services.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the
Piedmont Region and Eutelsat also includes the
objective to collaborate on developing Digital
Terrestrial Television (DTT) and to extending
reach of DTT channels throughout the region via
satellite. The Region plans to position itself
at the forefront of the full range of advanced
digital services and, together with Eutelsat,
will work with regional research bodies and
centres to develop experimental and highly
innovative activities to ensure that new
services emerge.
"This Memorandum of
Understanding underscores the recognition by the
Region of Piedmont of the fundamental value of
satellites for overcoming the digital divide and
their ability to operate as a complement to
terrestrial networks", commented Giuliano
Berretta, CEO of Eutelsat Communications. "This
follows on from the decision taken by the Region
in 2005 to leverage satellite to deliver
broadband connectivity to local government
departments. Following an international tender
which was awarded to our Skylogic affiliate and
to COLT, the contract to achieve this objective
was subsequently extended beyond government
departments to Alpine shelters. Our new
cooperation will enable the Region to reach its
objective to be the first in Italy to build a
fully digital environment for all its citizens."
"Broadband access
today represents an essential tool for ensuring
competitivity of a region and delivering quality
of life for citizens," said Andrea Bairati,
Member responsible for the innovation policy of
the Piedmont Region. "Through the actions
undertaken within the framework of the Wi-PIE
programme almost 1,100 communities in Piedmont
(covering more than 99 per cent of homes and
enterprises) will have the possibility of
always-on Internet access by the end of 2008
using XDSL or wireless technologies. Satellite
technology will enable us to achieve our
objective of full regional coverage by resolving
the challenge of extending broadband
infrastructure to areas with sparse population
density and to more remote locations."
