The number of entrepreneurs, neighborhood Internet Service Providers and trade associations from some of Italy’s most important industrial districts asking to participate in the ultra-broadband deployment process that is sweeping the country is growing by the day. Or rather, the most urbanized areas of the country.
Companies in so-called “white or gray” or “market failure“areas, that is, those where traditional telecom operators do not consider it profitable to build their own networks, can currently rely only on the intervention of the state and its concessionaires.
Even these, however, look almost exclusively at residential areas, thus leaving out of their design that productive fabric that is the flagship of our country’s economy: the Small and Medium Enterprises present throughout the country.
In the previous post, we introduced the topic of local realities that are taking action to request the implementation of fiber optic networks on their territory as well. Today we are pleased to report what is possible when FibreConnect responds to this demand through its partner proximity providers.
A successful partnership: FibreConnect and Netoip for Fermo businesses
In 2021, Italy was confirmed as by far the leading footwear producer in the European Union (with 148.8 million pairs produced). We are the eighth largest exporting country in the world by volume, but the third largest by value[2021 data, WorldFootwearYearbook, 2022 edition].
The industrial area of Fermo, and the Porto Sant’Elpidio area in particular, is world-famous for its footwear district, a very high quality supply chain that ranges from design to logistics, passing through sole factories and tanneries.
Nearly 1,000 companies with about 10,000 workers (10 percent of those employed in the industry nationwide) will finally be able to take advantage of all the competitive benefits that an ultra-broadband connection makes possible, from project management on cloud-based software to IoT for logistics.
Thanks to the partnership with
Netoip
, a local entity at the forefront of connectivity services, and the foresight of the
Municipal Administration
of Porto Sant’Elpidio, our fiber has been able to reach the industrial area and the important businesses that populate it.
We decided to gather the stories of some of these entrepreneurs, who will be the first to take advantage of FibreConnect’s fiber benefits for their business. Like Cristiana Moretti, owner of Moretti Autotrasporti, a Netoip customer for five years who will finally be able to migrate from a simple vdsl connection to dedicated fiber.
Or like Genni Chiappa, owner of the
Suolificio Stella
, a company with more than 50 years of history and experience in footwear bottoms, which uses state-of-the-art machinery, high-tech equipment, computerized presses and pantographs, and Cad Cam systems for patterns.
We had a chat with Genni to understand how this important innovation helps her company’s business.
- How did you react to the news of the arrival of fiber optics in your industrial area?
R: Honestly, I thought it was the usual bait and switch to attract customers and then offer them a substitute. I knew that our area was not among those provided by fiber, so I was initially very wary. Alessandro Iosi of Netoip can confirm. Instead, I was pleased to learn that we too would finally be able to take advantage of fiber optics.
- How and for what activities will ultra broadband be valuable to your company?
R: Our company has been in the market for more than 50 years, we work nationally and internationally with the best brands in the footwear industry. Fiber will exponentially facilitate the work we do on a daily basis, from sending photo catalogs to our clients abroad, to downloading various files and programs. I imagine that during meetings, it will be much faster to switch from one program to another and make them more interesting and catalyzing.
- What advantages do you see in Netoip’s proposed solution?
R: For little more than the current cost, we get significantly better service. In addition, with the replacement of the entire switchboard, we have equipment that is always state-of-the-art and in line with new technologies.
- What are the next business goals of Suolificio Stella?
R: Our goal from now to 3 years is to increase revenues by at least 70% by acquiring new customers who are on target with our product, and who can recognize us as a benchmark in the production of shoe soles. In this development plan, being able to rely on a reliable ultra-broadband network will be basic.
Porto Sant’Elpidio’s is the first in a long series of Italian Industrial and Artisan Areas that will finally be connected to the global network thanks to our fiber. In the coming months-just to mention those in the Marche region-FibreConnect will also reach the industrial areas of Ancona, Osimo, Senigallia and many others throughout Italy.
From Castellanza to Caltanissetta FibreConnect is ready to bring broadband to the productive heart of our country