Assoprovider is featured in a thesis on ultra-broadband in Campi, a small Umbrian village that was the protagonist of the historic agreement between the Association of Independent Providers and Legacoop.

Assoprovider mentioned in the thesis of Matteo Dominici, 27-year-old from Fabriano, graduated in Economics and Management last month. Topic of his thesis: the collaboration between Assoprovider and Legacoop to bring fiber optics to market failure areas, specifically to Campi, a small medieval village in Umbria.

"The Network infrastructures must belong to the citizens. The Legacoop – Assoprovider agreement brings benefits to the communities. This is what I discuss in my thesis," says Matteo Dominici.

The Legacoop – Assoprovider agreement for ultra-broadband

The agreement between the two associations dates back to February of this year. The objective the agreement between Assoprovider and Legacoop is that of promote the distribution of ultra-broadband with fiber optics in market failure areas, as explained by the Vice President of Assoprovider, Giovanbattista Frontera:

"This agreement is the 'offspring' of the battles that Assoprovider has fought over the years to allow cooperatives to enter the market as communication operators and offer Internet services. With Legacoop, we support those citizens and businesses that organize themselves into cooperatives to promote the distribution of ultra-broadband in market failure areas."

And precisely Giovanbattista Frontera on one side, and Andrea Bernardoni of Legacoop (thesis advisor) who supported Matteo in the realization of his thesis work: «The thesis is developed over three chapters. The first three serve as a theoretical basis, where I explain the issues related to Network infrastructures in Italy,  the birth of monopolies and the need for a more competitive model that encourages investment in market failure areas. And then there is a fourth "empirical" chapter, in which I describe what is happening in Campi based on the agreement between Legacoop and Assoprovider," Matteo continues.

The Campi case subject of the thesis

The Campi case and what is happening today is the subject of Matteo's thesis. Campi is emblematic in illustrating how the agreement between Legacoop and Assoprovider works. A cooperative is indeed being established in the town, composed of entrepreneurs and private individuals, which will create the network infrastructures, thus becoming owned by the cooperative itself and the community.

The new legal entity will then go on to negotiate with players in the ultra-broadband sector, in the role of a purchasing group, to secure better conditions for everyone: "The advantages of this approach are numerous. The cooperative will have more strength and therefore will not be bound to a contract with a single provider, thus increasing competition. And costs will decrease because the consumer will not have to pay in the bill for the use of a third-party infrastructure built by a private entity," explains Matteo.

The recent graduate in his thesis also highlights another of the social advantages of the agreement, to prevent these small towns from continuing to depopulate:

"Ultrabroadband with the possibility of connectivity will help keep the community alive. In this way, Internet services will not only fulfill the task of connection but also a plurality of things, helping areas like Campi to avoid depopulation and disappearance," concludes Matteo.