The right to connectivity: a cultural and technological challenge for the future of Italy

Widespread coverage of ultra-wideband is an enabling factor for the growth of the country and for the social and economic inclusion of all its territories. As shown by the data of the study "Towards the Gigabit Society", conducted by The European House - Ambrosetti in collaboration with EOLO, areas with greater connectivity have first and foremost a greater capacity to generate and support entrepreneurial initiatives: 57.7% of European provinces with surfing speeds above 100 Mbps have a high business birth rate (greater than 10%), measured as the ratio of new businesses to active businesses in the same reference year. It is also estimated that if every Italian province had the ultra-wideband coverage of the province of Milan, the country would achieve a GDP growth of +3.5%. This shows the extent to which access to a fast network can generate economic growth and social inclusion, making connectivity and the fight against the digital divide and the digital speed divide a priority.
In the major urban centres, high-performance technology such as FTTH fibre exists. However, the physical conformation of the Italian territory, characterised mainly by hilly and mountainous areas, makes it complex to bring fibre outside the major metropolises. Moreover, this technology has an increasing cost model as population density decreases. Therefore, laying fibre cables throughout the country becomes uneconomical.
Therefore, in order to achieve total coverage with ultra-wideband, it is necessary to bet on a technology-neutral approach that puts digitisation objectives before the technologies used to achieve them. Only in this way will we be in a position to provide every Italian territory with the best available solution, whether it be FTTH technology or Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) such as that provided by EOLO, helping to unlock growth factors with multiple effects: halting depopulation in various territories of the country, increasing the birth rate of businesses and employment, but also guaranteeing access to the digitised services of the public administration.
This is not enough, however. Our country continues to suffer from a lack of digital skills transmitted to people of different age groups. These deficiencies also have repercussions on entrepreneurial activity: if people do not possess basic digital skills, it is also more difficult to reap the benefits of digitisation and ultra-wide bandwidth. Again according to the study in collaboration with The European House Ambrosetti, for example, we have highlighted how small and medium-sized businesses in the area without access to ultra-wideband tend to underestimate the effects of digitisation.
This is why it is important to pass on knowledge and skills to all citizens, from the youngest to the elderly, by investing in schools and training courses, so that the conscious use of the internet enables everyone to take advantage of its benefits. Aware that we have a marginal part to play compared to the decision makers, we too are working on this, for example with video workshops aimed at under 18s and over 65s.
A targeted strategy at a national level will have repercussions on education, work, digitised services and, ultimately, on the attractiveness of all territories, especially of small municipalities that represent an economic heritage and a social fabric that are invaluable for our country.
Only by developing digital skills and with a technology-neutral approach will we be able to fully reap the benefits offered by digitisation, and we will win this cultural and technological challenge.