Open Fiber reaches Pennabilli and relaunches tourism in the Romagna village
Pennabilli is one of the oldest villages in Romagna, perched in the mountains, where most of its hamlets were previously not served by an InternetInternet The word comes from the fusion of the English terms international and net, i.e. international network. This term refers to the worldwide computer network that users all over the world can access via a computer to transmit and share data and information. connection. Over the years, this has been a major obstacle not only for the digital life of the more than 2,000 inhabitants, but also for tourism.
Here, Open Fiber, as the concessionaire of InfratelInfratel Infratel Italia S.p.A. is an in-house company of the Ministry of Economic Development and is the implementing party of the Government’s Broadband and Ultra-Broadband Plans. For more information visit www.infratelitalia.it Italia S.p.A.’s public tender for the coverage of White AreasWhite Areas White Areas are those where private operators have not deemed it worthwhile to invest and therefore lack broadband and ultra-broadband infrastructure., has connected over 2,600 property units, bringing fiber optics to the entire municipal district and paving the way to a new era full of opportunities, defined by the revival of the village within the area’s touristic and cultural context.
More connected, more united: Open Fiber breaks down the digital divideDigital Divide A term to describe the gap between those who can use new information and communication technologies and those who, for technical, economic or social reasons, are unable to use them. Read the news item “Digital divide and social inequality: the role of Open Fiber” to find out more.
As a wholesaler operator, Open Fiber has already brought the fiber-optic networkNetwork In computer language, the term network defines a set of hardware and software devices which, when linked together, enable the exchange and sharing of resources, data or information. In a computer network, the devices that generate, route and terminate data are called network nodes. to large cities and small villages throughout Italy. In Pennabilli, due to the location’s rich history, the work required special care: a total infrastructure of 67 km was built and, in addition to homes and businesses, several public buildings such as the Vittoria Theatre, the Calculus Museum and many schools in the area were cabled.
New frontiers are opening up for the villages of Romagna
The bridging of the digital divide is opening up new prospects not only for the inhabitants of Pennabilli and the surrounding villages, but also for the tourism sector in Romagna: the municipality has several facilities that welcome many visitors each year, such as the Mateureka Calculus Museum. Thanks to Open Fiber, an ultra-fast connection of up to 10 Gigabits per second is no longer a pipe dream.
“Having fiber optics in a historical village like Pennabilli is a prospect for the future. We realised, especially during lockdown, that we were very isolated in terms of both distance education and smart working. We were not ahead of the times technologically, but then a godsend finally arrived. Fiber optics will stop the exodus from the countryside, helping industries and professionals. People are happy and when they are, I as mayor am naturally even happier than them.” Mauro Giannini, Mayor of the Municipality of Pennabilli.
