The “Minor Islands Connection” Plan was launched with the aim of providing ultra-fast connectivity to smaller islands and enabling modern digital services for businesses, citizens, and local governments. The event took place on the Teliri cable-laying ship in Palermo and was attended by institutional actors, media, and representatives from Elettra Tlc.

The undersecretary of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Innovation, Alessio Butti, emphasized the importance of connecting smaller islands with ultra-fast networks and how it represents an investment in their economic development. The President of Infratel Italia, Alfredo Maria Becchetti, also highlighted the significance of providing adequate connectivity to the smaller islands and bridging the infrastructure gap.

Elettra Tlc expressed their pride in contributing to the strengthening of the economy of the Minor Islands and improving the daily lives of residents through their role as a company responsible for installing optical connections for the Plan. The Plan is financed and promoted by the Department of Digital Transformation with an investment of over 45 million euros from Pnrr and aims to provide adequate connectivity to 21 smaller islands primarily in Sicily.

Through laying submarine and terrestrial optical cables, the plan aims to enable modern digital services such as ultra-broadband services, mobile connectivity services, and potential services based on 5G technology on these 21 smaller islands. Sixty-two percent (62%) of these islands are located in Sicily.