INWIT and A2A together to make Milan even more of a Smart City
The installation of the first 5G small cells activated by TIM and positioned on public lighting poles in the city center is underway
INWIT, the Italian digital infrastructure company, and A2A, through its subsidiary A2A Smart City, have signed a strategic agreement to improve the connectivity and smart functions of the city of Milan. The project involves the installation of 5G small cells on public lighting poles, managed by A2A, to strengthen the mobile network and respond to the growing demand for data traffic.
A concrete step towards Milan Smart City
The collaboration between INWIT and A2A aims to extend the installation of 5G small cells to approximately 1,000 electricity poles in the coming years. This intervention is part of the 5G network development plan, offering widespread and integrated coverage to support mobile operators. The first seven small cells are already operational in various central areas of Milan (Duomo, Brera, Garibaldi-Repubblica, Parco Lambro-Cimiano) and have been activated by TIM. Thanks to the fiber optic connection of A2A Smart City, these micro-antennas are able to transmit even complex data, improving network capacity and guaranteeing high performance.
A denser and more widespread 5G network
The agreement between INWIT and A2A provides a concrete response to the growing need for connectivity in the city of Milan. The small cells, installed on public lighting poles, strengthen the existing network and make it possible to integrate the coverage offered by the multi-operator telecommunications towers, already present in over 600 sites in the Lombardy capital. INWIT’s micro-antennas are in fact already operational in numerous strategic points of the city, such as the new M4 metro line, the main hospital facilities, Fiera Milano, the City Life towers and the Merlata Bloom shopping centre.
Strengthen existing infrastructure
The collaboration between INWIT and A2A allows you to make the most of existing infrastructures, such as public lighting poles, which become intelligent nodes of a latest generation transmission network. The intervention of A2A Smart City, with its extensive fiber optic network and a supply of over 4,000 cameras for city security, integrates INWIT’s offer, creating an efficient and sustainable multi-operator platform.
An open infrastructure model for a more connected city
Diego Galli, General Director of INWIT, underlines the importance of the project:
“INWIT continues to invest to efficiently support telecommunications operators in meeting the growing need for connectivity. The Small Cells add to investments in external towers and indoor DAS (Distributed Antenna System), in an infrastructure model open to all operators that brings efficiency and innovation.”
Cesare Sironi, CEO of A2A Smart City, commented:
“As A2A Smart City we work to optimize every aspect of the urban ecosystem, making cities intelligent, sustainable and ready to respond to the challenges of the future. The installation of 5G small cells on public lighting poles is a concrete example of effective integration between technology and existing infrastructure and, with this project, the city of Milan is projecting itself towards a new digital era, becoming a model of smart city in Europe. This initiative reflects A2A’s commitment to creating sustainable solutions with high social impact, designed to meet the needs of citizens and businesses and to accompany Milan towards accessible and competitive technological growth.”
Elio Schiavo, Chief Enterprise and Innovative Solutions Officer of TIM, also underlines the strategic value of the collaboration:
“TIM works for the cities of the future, increasingly connected and increasingly effective in processing data and providing answers to administrators and citizens. Through the TIM Enterprise smart land model, which is based on an urban intelligence platform already adopted by many Municipalities, we integrate the best cloud, IoT, 5G and artificial intelligence technologies, making an advanced, sustainable city model available to local institutions and safe, with solutions capable of responding to people’s needs in real time. The collaboration with Inwit and A2A to enhance widespread connectivity throughout the Milan area goes precisely in this direction“.
Milan leader of urban innovation
With this initiative, Milan confirms its leadership position in the adoption of advanced technologies and digital transformation. The partnership between INWIT, A2A and TIM represents a virtuous model of collaboration between companies, aimed at improving the quality of life and the attractiveness of the city, contributing to its development as one of the most advanced Smart Cities in Europe.