INWIT has delivered 5G connectivity to the M4 line of the Milan underground, equipping it with Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) that provide 5G coverage for all four of the country’s MNOs, the towerco has announced.
The towerco has deployed a DAS network of 400 remote units, over 1,100 antennas and 25 km of fibre, making it the first line in Italy with 5G coverage. Drawing attention to the collaboration within Iliad, TIM, Vodafone, Wind3 and INWIT to provide connectivity at all 21 stations and tunnels of the line, INWIT’s General Manager Diego Galli said “The M4 project confirms INWIT’s commitment to the creation of efficient and modern digital infrastructures for mobile connectivity, also in the important transport vertical, to support all operators and benefit the digital transition towards smart cities”.
In addition to Milan, the towerco has invested in providing connectivity to metros in the towns of Brescia, Catania and Naples as well as along road and motorway tunnels throughout Italy. The investment by INWIT is part of the trend of towercos investing outside of their core macro-tower business model. This announcement follows INWIT’s announcement it had joined the EWIA to add to the industry’s voice in Brussels as Europe negotiates the implementation of the Gigabit Infrastructure Act at member state level.
Over the summer TowerXchange reported that other leading towercos had completed multi-operator DAS installations. In Spain, Cellnex announced the completion of a project enhancing connectivity across the city’s beaches through the installation of distributed antenna system (DAS) units. And in the UK, Freshwave designed and deployed in-building 4G connectivity across 15 buildings of The Princess Alexandra Hospital north of London and is now providing ongoing support via a managed service.
Delivering connectivity in dense urban areas, inside buildings or underground requires alternatives to macro-towers. As demand by consumers and municipalities increases for high-quality, stable and ubiquitous TowerXchange expects to see more towercos offering solutions like this more frequently.
