TIM reveals plans to bring 5G services to Italy

TIM is launching the digital transformation of the country with 5G, through the progressive roll-out of the new technology in major cities and industrial districts together with digital literacy initiatives that will be launched throughout the country after the summer.

TIM rolled out its 5G network on 3.6-3.8 GHz mid-band. In this initial phase TIM is deploying Ericsson’s 3GPP standards-based Non-Standalone 5G portfolio from Ericsson Radio System, supported through a software upgrade of their existing Ericsson core network.

The 5G revolution has already started in Rome and Turin and as of today also in Naples (at The Universiade Village), where TIM has activated 5G and made available the first commercial services for families and companies. Within the year, it will arrive at another six major cities – Milan, Bologna, Verona, Florence, Matera and Bari – 30 tourist destinations, 50 industrial districts and 30 specific projects for big businesses, with speeds of up to 2 gigabits a second.

5G new offers 

TIM has already launched the first commercial offers for consumer and business customers and has entered into partnership with Samsung, Xiaomi and Oppo to enable an immediate use of the new-generation network. TIM customers can purchase the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and Xiaomi Mix3 5G smartphone in TIM stores or on www.tim.it. The Oppo Reno 5G will be available soon. There are two new 5G offers for families with speed up to 2 Gbps: TIM Advance 5G starting from 29.99 euros/month with 50 GB, unlimited calls and SMS, HD and Ultra HD video and, starting from 49.99 euros/month, TIM Advance Top with 100 GB, unlimited calls and SMS, HD and Ultra HD video and roaming including United States, Canada, Switzerland, and Monaco. This offer also allows for the purchase of the new Samsung S10 5G for 10 euros/month (€199 down payment) and use of the TIMGAMES App (included until December 2019) to turn it into a console with the gamepad.

For business customers, TIM has the Senza Limiti 5G (5G Unlimited) offer, starting at 60 euros/month for new customers and including unlimited minutes and SMS – also from Italy to Europe and 16 destinations outside the EU – 100 GB, unlimited e-mail and chat and roaming, also internationally, with unlimited calls and SMS as well as 5 GB in 16 destinations outside the EU*.

TIM will also offer 5G roaming in six countries, starting within July in Austria, Great Britain and Switzerland and moving on to Spain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

TIM is working to offer increasingly customised services to industry in the country, so as to increase the efficiency of production processes, in part through the adoption of MIMO technology to optimise connection capacity.

5G new services

TIM 5G has enabled some services which are already available for the tourism and culture sector, among the first that can benefit from applications of the new technology. Special headsets allow immersive virtual reality visits to museums and historical locations, making it possible to interact with a real tourist guide in the same virtual environment despite a distance of many Kilometers. TIM has made these virtual tours possible for Piazza Navona, Matera’s rupestrian churches and the Pietro Micca Museum and Subalpine Parliament in Turin.

A further significant application highlighting the advantages of 5G is cloud gaming, with the captivating option of streaming gameplay, even on the move. It’s already possible to follow a live eSport event, changing the perspective on the screen in real time thanks to the multiview function with simultaneous video streams, during a football match for example.

Industry 4.0 applications have been launched in robotics and industrial automation. A mobile connection permits control of robotic arms, exploiting the bandwidth and latency features of the 5G service. Remote devices such as laptop and tablets will make it possible to manage production lines in different locations, with real-time control.

After the summer, TIM will launch specific training and digital literacy initiatives for both the general public and businesses to help them to navigate and benefit from the profound digital transformation which is taking place.
The courses will be free of charge, online and in various TIM Academy locations around the country, to help Italians become acquainted with using the new digital services and thus lending concrete support to spreading new technology and its use in daily life.