Telecom Italia (TIM) said it has teamed up with Google Cloud to launch what it describes as the first platform in Italy offering smart mobility using its ‘Edge Cloud 5G’ technology. The platform activated at the Masa (Modena Automotive Smart Area) open air lab in Modena (Emilia Romagna) will enable the development of new applications dedicated to connected cars, smart mobility and other digital services.

It combines Google’s ‘Distributed Cloud Virtual’ software with TIM’s ‘Telco Cloud’ infrastructure and 5G mobile network to offer high-performance connectivity, greater flexibility in the configuration of applications and high security standards, said the partners, adding that the service will be available to Public Administration bodies, companies, entrepreneurs and startups looking to accelerate the country’s digital transformation.

The project uses TIM’s existing 5G network in the Bologna and Modena area and will allow Masa and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia to test new technology for self-driving and assisted cars, as well as advanced cloud mobility applications requiring dynamic and ultra-secure communication between vehicles, road infrastructure and smart city systems.

The operator added that the initiative is part of the smart city development activities that its TIM Enterprise unit is creating under the TIM Urban Genius platform, a virtual control room equipped with digital technologies that offers a sustainable smart city model. The system has already been successfully adopted by various Italian cities, including Venice with its Smart Control Room project.

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