Italian telecom operator TIM will be conducting 5G testing on 3.6 GHz – 3.8 GHz spectrum in Bari and Matera cities in association with Huawei.

TIM, Fastweb and Huawei submitted a joint plan in co-ordination with 52 international, national and local bodies with the aim of achieving challenging targets, even in advance of the EU Commission’s 5G Action Plan.

TIM said the company will do activation of the first 5G use scenarios as early as June 2018, to reach 75 percent 5G coverage of the area by the end of the same year, and full coverage of the two cities by the end of 2019.

The 5G testing by TIM, Fastweb and Huawei aims to establish an open digital platform capable of taking up the initiatives of other bodies such as public administrations, technological and industrial partners to develop services and applications supported by the 5G network.

TIM aims to generate IoT business revenue from smart city, public safety, environmental monitoring, industry 4.0, 5G healthcare, as well as media education and virtual reality, automotive, mobility and road safety.

TIM will test 5G technology in Bari to create one of the first 4.0 ports in Italy, improving its security, access control and logistics by using IoT solutions coupled with digital automation.

TIM will also explore the frontiers of 3D virtualisation and reconstruction of archaeological sites and museums in Matera, the 2019 European capital of culture, with the aim of producing actual virtual geo-museums.