A New Broadband Network in the Middle of Italy: the Project of Terrecablate

This paper is devoted to illustrate the project of a new broadband network, that is seeing its realization in the Province of Siena, in the middle of Italy. The network is going to be built by a brandnew public society, the "Consorzio Terrecablate Telecomunicazioni" ("Terrecablate" in the following) that has been established last year by the Authority of the Province of Siena, the City of Siena and all the Municipalities of the Province. As follows, the purpose of Terrecablate's project is to create a telecommunication Broadband Network – with a backbone of about 650 kilometers of fiber optic – by using the most recent and innovative technologies, giving thus all the services related to the high speed connectivity at the lowest price of the market. The whole network, that should be realized within year 2007, means an investment of 85 millions of Euro, of which the 70% will be financed by the Public Administration. On July 2003, the first backbone ring is going to be completed, and it is expected to start providing of TLC services within year 2003