Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM), together with Fastweb and Huawei, will begin 5G trials in the Italian cities of Bari and Matera.
The three companies will present a coordinated plan involving 52 international, national and local partners, including university research centers and leading IT firms. Initial 5G use case demonstrations are scheduled for June 2018. The partners plan to cover about three quarters of the target area by the end of 2018 and to achieve complete coverage in both cities by the end of 2019.
Bari, a major port in southern Italy, will be developed as a model Industry 4.0 port under the initiative, integrating smart logistics, port automation and connected services to enhance efficiency and competitiveness. In Matera, designated the 2019 European Capital of Culture, one of the key aims is to create 3D virtualizations and digital reconstructions of archaeological sites and museums to boost cultural preservation, tourism and immersive visitor experiences.
“This initiative will enable TIM, Fastweb and Huawei, together with the network of partners and public authorities involved, to make a concrete contribution to fostering demand for innovative services in line with national and European strategies,” the companies said.
They added that the project will serve as a real-world laboratory for next-generation mobile technologies, exploiting 5G’s capabilities to accelerate the development of innovative services that can stimulate Italy’s economy through a strong push from the Internet of Things and related digital solutions.
This effort builds on earlier TIM initiatives. In March, plans were announced for Turin to become one of Italy’s first cities trialing 5G, with full deployment targeted by 2020. Separately, the Republic of San Marino signed a memorandum of understanding with TIM to start 5G testing, positioning it among the first European states to undertake such trials.
The Bari–Matera program emphasizes collaboration among operators, research institutions and local authorities to validate practical 5G scenarios across sectors such as smart manufacturing, transport and cultural heritage. By testing services in operational environments, stakeholders expect to identify technical requirements, refine service models and engage local businesses and citizens in co-creating solutions.
Planned trials include use cases for industrial automation and remote monitoring in port operations, connected and autonomous vehicle trials for urban mobility, and immersive cultural applications that leverage high-capacity, low-latency networks to deliver real-time 3D content and augmented-reality experiences to visitors. The collaboration also intends to explore smart-city services—such as advanced public-safety communications, environmental sensing and energy management—enabled by dense 5G deployments and extensive Internet of Things connectivity.
By concentrating efforts in Bari and Matera, the partners aim to generate transferable insights and best practices that can inform broader national 5G rollouts. The controlled testing environment will help regulators, operators and vendors evaluate spectrum use, network architecture options and service delivery models while engaging local stakeholders to ensure the resulting services address real community needs.
Ultimately, the initiative is positioned as part of a broader strategy to spur digital transformation in Italy—strengthening regional economies, enhancing public services and creating new opportunities for businesses and cultural institutions through advanced mobile technologies.