The association of Proximity Operators is the "main sponsor" of the initiative by Samuel Lo Gioco, an expert in agile work, who will travel with a technological van through the most beautiful Italian villages to demonstrate the opportunities of smart working and digital for the revival of marginalized economies.
The revitalization of the economies of small villages is a topic to which Assoprovider has always been sensitive.
The project, conceived by the agile work expert Samuel Lo Gioco, is a journey through the most beautiful Italian villages with the mission of raising awareness among businesses and citizens about the opportunities of smart working and digitalization for the revitalization of marginalized economies.
15 years of experience in the ICT sector, Lo Gioco is the founder of Smart Working Magazine, a reference portal for the culture of future work. On board a technologically equipped office van and in full respect of the environment, he will stop in various villages (both in the North and the South):
"Smart working becomes the tool to unlock the infinite potential of Italian villages. The repopulation of villages would encourage institutions and companies to invest more in the territories, create services for citizens, new opportunities, shifting economy and consumption from large to small centers. Let's also consider the impact on the flourishing of tourism: how many foreigners would dream of working in a small Italian village?" asks Lo Gioco.
During his journey, Lo Gioco will meet the Proximity Operators who, by providing broadband in small municipalities where major operators have no interest in investing, represent the backbone of the country's connectivity for the so-called white areas or "market failure" zones:
"We have chosen to promote the initiative of Samuel Lo Gioco to provide a showcase for the many small operators who work hard in an unfair market that favors large operators at the expense of the small ones. The commitment of the latter is driven by ethics, even before profit, and it is right to put them at the center of the stage, because the reduction of the digital divide in Italy is their merit and has been our battle for over twenty years," declares Marcello Cama, vice president and head of communication at Assoprovider.
All the numbers of Italian villages
54% of the national territory is occupied by small villages with 16% of Italians, approximately 9.8 million, living there. Furthermore, there are more than 5,000 centers with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants (data from Istat and Osservatorio Politecnico di Milano).
Numbers that perfectly align with those of smart working, which saw an acceleration during the Pandemic, with 5.35 million people still working partly remotely today, while potentially 8.3 million Italians hold positions that can also be conducted in smart working:
"In our journey, we aim to showcase the advantages of agile work and digital technology in repopulating small towns, improving citizens' lives with more services, attracting tourism not only in high season, and creating new businesses. And above all, to uplift marginalized areas of society, thus offering our Belpaese an economy well distributed across the entire national territory," continues Lo Gioco.
Development goals that, however, can be achieved primarily through policies that favor proximity operators:
"Given the numbers of small Italian municipalities, it is clear that by connecting these areas, it is possible to advance the Italian economy, and therefore, politics must be activated through the Ministry of Economic Development, creating a legislative framework favorable to local operators. An activity that Assoprovider has been carrying out for two decades thanks to its initiatives," emphasizes Cama.
Assoprovider main sponsor of VanWorking
Assoprovider is the main sponsor of the event, also supported by brands close to the association of proximity operators, OpenTLC the bilingual print periodical of TLC for which the second issue is being prepared, TedTrip spinoff dedicated to experiential tourism and LabTv, satellite TV that accompanies Assoprovider in all its initiatives.
The entire project is focused on environmental sustainability. The van, which will travel to rediscover Italian villages, is a concentration of technology and sustainability. Thanks to solar panels and tools for energy storage and optimization, it is completely independent from the electrical grid, while inside it resembles a technological lounge, equipped with high-quality connectivity and cutting-edge systems for live streaming and video conferencing. Additionally, the van will offer free Internet to citizens who wish to work near the vehicle.
In collaboration with Save The Planet, fuel consumption will be calculated and, to offset CO2 emissions, trees and green areas will be planted in Italian cities.
The tour will start from Tuscany, with the first two stops in the Sienese villages of Radicondoli and San Casciano dei Bagni, before moving south.
The project has obtained the patronage of the European Commission, Save The Planet, and ANCI Italia.
Assoprovider: Independent association of companies operating as Internet Service Providers (ISP). Founded in July 1999, it aims to combat the power dynamics and division of large carriers and telephone companies. The association, which today includes about 245 companies in the Internet Services and connectivity sector, aims to promote the harmonious development of the Internet in Italy. In particular, it seeks to contribute to bridging the gap that still separates us from the most digitized nations and to help Italy become a key player in the global Internet development process. Info: https://assoprovider.it/
Samuel Lo Gioco: 15 years of experience in the ICT sector, founded Smart Working Magazine, a leading publication for the culture of future work, before the law 81/207 on agile work. During that period, organized the first itinerant cultural event on the topic of smart working (Smart Working Day sponsored by the European Commission). A proponent of intelligent work, aims to transform companies into places of well-being through activities, organizes events to evangelize the topic of smart working to managers, executives, HR figures, institutions, and citizens about the opportunities of smart working. Speaker, works as a mentor at startups and companies. Info: https://smartworkingmagazine.com
OpenTLC: quarterly bilingual magazine published, under Assoprovider license, by Consulservice. The first issue was printed in 18,000 copies on recycled paper and features a PDF version translated into English. OpenTLC is mailed to over 16,000 nominees, info: redazione@opentlc.it – www.opentlc.it
TedTrip: platform dedicated to the Travel Emotion Designer, experiential tourism, co-founded by Matteo Fici and Giusi Carioto. Info: https://tedtrip.eu/
Labtv: Labtv is a broadcaster from the Campania Region available on channel 625 of digital terrestrial and streaming on the website www.labtv.net.