Ferdinando Orza, from Campania, tells the story of the provider Wifly and offers advice to young providers who do not want to succumb in a highly competitive market.
They were born with the idea of bridging the digital divide in the municipalities of the Valle dell’Irno in Campania. From a branch of the Bit Valley project, a consortium that aimed to create an IT hub in the Salerno area, modeled after Silicon Valley, began the experience of Ferdinando Orza, founder in 2010 of Wifly, a proximity operator registered with Assoprovider, covering the Valle dell’Irno, Cilento, Costiera Amalfitana, Agro Nocerino Sarnese, up to some areas of Naples: "The Bit Valley never truly came to life, but it was an educational experience that made us realize the lack of broadband coverage in many areas and led us to establish our company," Orza explains to Assoprovider.
The meeting with Assoprovider
50 years old, Orza chose to register his company with Assoprovider thanks to his acquaintance with Antonio Ruggiero, historical secretary of the association and one of its founders: "I had known Antonio for a few years. After a meeting in Lucca at a SICE event, I got to know Assoprovider better and found its work very interesting, especially in helping providers navigate the complex bureaucratic universe that dominates the sector," he recounts.
In addition to this reason, the entrepreneur chose to join the association to share knowledge and delve into the topics that arise in the email groups that Assoprovider makes available to its members: "We take inspiration from the discussions that take place among members, and this allows us to stay updated on market dynamics and address them more effectively."
Connectivity works (if accompanied by services)
We ask Orza to offer advice to budding proximity operators entering a sector, that of telecommunications, which is extremely complex: "We live in constant transformation: it is essential to always understand where the market is heading. Take the example of fiber, which has completely transformed the business for small operators and paved the way for many big players who have rushed into the market."
In this highly competitive context, offering only Internet connectivity becomes limiting: "Connectivity must be used to create and offer other services to citizens, especially entrepreneurs. In this, a local operator has many advantages, knows the target well, is close to the specific needs of customers, and can launch services that allow them to generate margins," concludes Orza.
