Italy’s Lombardy picks group using Starlink to test satcom services

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MILAN (Reuters) -Italy’s Lombardy region on Thursday picked a consortium of firms using Starlink’s low-orbit satellite constellation in a pilot project to see if space-based connectivity is a viable solution to boost high-speed internet penetration in the country.

Lombardy, home to Italy’s financial capital Milan, launched a tender for a 4.1 million euro project to test wholesale systems combining fibre and satellite-based networks to bring fast Internet connections in remote and poorly served areas.

A joint proposal from Swisscom’s Fastweb and Italian defence group Leonardo satellite unit Telespazio has been awarded the pilot project, a regional document showed on Thursday.

A source close to the matter said the test is expected to involve the use of Starlink’s satellite constellation.

Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo and French peer Thales last year secured an agreement with Elon Musk’s low orbit satellite unit Starlink to commercialise its satellite service.

Italy is grappling with delays in state-backed rollout plans for ultra-fast terrestrial telecoms networks for households in sparsely populated areas, with latest European Union data pointing to a coverage of 36.8% last year against an EU average of about 60%.

(Reporting by Elvira Pollina and Giulia SegretiEditing by Keith Weir)