View source for Internet in Italy

{{short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
[[File:Registro .it logo.svg|thumb|[[Top-level domain]] ({{langx|it|registro}}) for Italy ([[.it]])]]

The Internet country code [[top-level domain]] (ccTLD) for Italy is '''[[.it]]''' and is sponsored by [[Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche]]. The '''[[.eu]]''' domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

Currently Internet access is available to businesses and home users in various forms, including dial-up, fiber, cable, DSL, and wireless.

== History ==
{{Further|Sublink Network}}
[[File:Firenze-Internet-cafe-0836.jpg|thumb|A sign posted on the door of an [[internet cafe]] in [[Florence]] regarding Italian Law No. 155 of 31 July 2005]]

[[Sublink Network]] was a non-profit association founded in [[Italy]] in 1989 to allow cost-sharing access to the [[Internet]]. Sublink Network was registered with the sublink.org domain (this domain now belongs to one of the founders). Sublink Network had its own sublink.* newsgroup hierarchy and a gateway with the Italian branch of [[FidoNet]].

Sublink was the very first public (non-academic) internet email and newsgroup network in Italy, with very low access fees (around $100 a year), fast backbone modems running at 19200 [[Bit rate|bit/s]] (the average modem was 2400 bit/s at that time), and fully registered to the NIC. When after 1997, low cost [[Point-to-Point Protocol|PPP]] commercial access to the Internet started to become available, interest for UUCP cost-share Internet feeds started to decline and the association was naturally dissolved.

== Average Speed==
According to netindex.com, the Italian average for fixed connections is below the global average (96.98&nbsp;Mbit/s Down and 51.28&nbsp;Mbit/s Up at january 2021) with an average speed of 79.62&nbsp;Mbit/s Down and 31.41&nbsp;Mbit/s in upload (consideration based on the public data available at: [http://www.speedtest.net/global-index/italy Italy Median Country Speeds] - January 2021).

==Overview==
[[File:Legnano San Magno.jpg|thumb|Main square in [[Legnano]], a free [[Wi-Fi]] area]]
According to data released by the fibre-to-the-home ([[FTTH]]) Council Europe, Italy represents one of the largest FTTH markets in Europe, with more than 2.5 million homes passed by fibre at end-December 2010;<ref name="FTTH Council Europe 01">[http://www.ftthcouncil.eu/documents/PressReleases/2011/PR2011_Italian_Panorama_FINAL.pdf Will Italy have the best FTTH network in Europe?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407214536/http://www.ftthcouncil.eu/documents/PressReleases/2011/PR2011_Italian_Panorama_FINAL.pdf |date=2014-04-07 }} ''FTTH Council Europe.'' Web. 02 Dec. 2012.</ref> at the same date the country reported around 348,000 fibre subscribers.<ref name="FTTH Council Europe 01"/> The "Fibre for Italy" project (with the participation of providers [[Fastweb (telecommunications company)|Fastweb]], [[Vodafone Italy|Vodafone]] and [[Wind Telecomunicazioni|Wind]] in a co-investment partnership) aims to reach 20 million people in Italy's 15 largest cities by 2015,<ref name="FTTH Council Europe 01"/> and Telecom Italia plans to connect 138 cities by 2018.<ref name="FTTH Council Europe 01"/> The government has also started the Italia Digitale project, which aims to provide at least 50% of Italians with high-speed internet access by 2020. The government aims to extend the fibre-optic network to rural areas.

While [[ADSL2+]] with speeds up to 20/1&nbsp;Mbit/s is still the most widely common subscription available in Italy, the main telephone company in the country ([[TIM Group|TIM]]) is investing 12 billion € in the period of 2016-2018, with the aim of reaching 84% of the homes with broadband connection (100&nbsp;Mbit/s) before the end of 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.telecomitalia.com/tit/it/archivio/media/note-stampa/market/2016/TIM-Internet-Day.html|title=TIM festeggia l'Internet Day con 1.100 comuni connessi in fibra ottica|date=April 29, 2016|website=Telecom Italia Group}}</ref> Despite this, there's a debate going because the company is still investing on copper and on the fiber-to-the-cabinet ([[FTTC#Fiber to the curb/cabinet/node|FTTC]]) technology, instead of bringing fibre directly to the home everywhere. The FTTC and VDSL2 technologies can currently bring up to 100/20&nbsp;Mbit/s connections to the final customer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tim.it/offerte/fisso/internet-voce-e-timvision/fibra/smart-superfibra|title=TIM SMART SUPERFIBRA|date=June 5, 2016|website=TIM.it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vodafone.it/portal/Privati/Tariffe-e-Prodotti/Fibra--ADSL-e-Telefono/Offerta-Fibra/Super-Fibra-Family-100-Mega|title=Vodafone Super Fibra Family 100 Mega|date=June 5, 2016|website=Vodafone}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fastweb.it/adsl-fibra-ottica/super-jet/|title=Fastweb fibra ottica|date=June 5, 2016|website=Fastweb}}</ref> TIM and Fastweb have plans to increase FTTC speeds with vectoring to up to 200/50 Mbit/s streams before the end of 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://company.fastweb.it/fastweb-lancia-il-nuovo-piano-in-fibra-ottica-per-portare-200-megabit-al-secondo-al-50-della-popolazione/|title=FASTWEB lancia il nuovo piano in fibra ottica per portare 200 megabit al secondo al 50% della popolazione|date=April 5, 2016|website=FASTWEB company}}</ref>

The FTTH network is developing as well, with a standard 10.000/5000/2500/1000/100&nbsp;Mbit/s connection <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.telecomitalia.com/tit/it/archivio/media/note-stampa/market/2017/NS-TIM-1000-Mega.html|title=TIM profilo 300/20}}</ref> (up to 10.000 Mbit/s with TIM <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timbusiness.tim.it/fisso/internet/fibra-veloce|title=Fibra 10 Giga home & business TIM|date=March 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.vodafone.it/2016/10/17/vodafone-lancia-iperfibra-la-prima-offerta-fino-a-1-gigabit-al-secondo-in-italia/|title=Vodafone News - Vodafone Lab - Vodafone lancia IperFibra, la prima offerta fino a 1 Gigabit al secondo in Italia|website=vodafone lab - La community che sperimenta e condivide|language=it-IT|access-date=2017-10-18}}</ref>) at the same subscription price as FTTC .

In 2025 a new standard has been announced for the Italian FTTH network. The company Openfiber is working on a new 100Gbps connectivity <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://openfiber.it/media/news/open-fiber-nokia-velocita-100-gbps/|title=Svolta nella connettività: velocità fino a 100 Giga}}</ref>.

Figures published by the [[National Institute of Statistics (Italy)|National Institute of Statistics]] showed in late-2011 that 58.8% of Italian families had a personal computer (up slightly from 57.6% in 2010);<ref name="National Institute of Statistics (Italy) 01">{{in lang|it}} [http://www.istat.it/it/archivio/48388 Cittadini e nuove tecnologie.] ''Istituto nazionale di statistica.'' Web. 01 Dec. 2012.</ref> 54.5% had access to the internet (up from 52.4%);<ref name="National Institute of Statistics (Italy) 01"/> and 45.8% had broadband access (up from 43.4%).<ref name="National Institute of Statistics (Italy) 01"/> Over one-quarter (26.3%, down slightly from 26.4% in 2010) of Italian internet users aged fourteen years and older made an online purchase during 2011.<ref name="National Institute of Statistics (Italy) 01"/>

==Internet regulation==
{{Culture of Italy}}
An [[Anti-terrorism legislation|anti-terrorism law]] amended in 2005, after the terrorists attacks in [[2004 Madrid train bombings|Madrid]] and [[7 July 2005 London bombings|London]],<ref name="espresso02">{{cite magazine |url=http://espresso.repubblica.it/dettaglio/libero-web-senza-fili/2115804/15/0 |magazine=[[L'espresso]] |language=it |title=Libero web senza fili |date=2009-11-26 |access-date=2009-11-27 |archive-date=2012-02-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229161209/http://espresso.repubblica.it/dettaglio/libero-web-senza-fili/2115804/15/0 |url-status=dead }}</ref> by then-[[Italian Minister of the Interior|Minister of the Interior]] [[Giuseppe Pisanu]], restricted the opening of new [[Hotspot (Wi-Fi)|Wi-Fi Hotspot]]s,<ref name="camera01">{{cite web |title=Conversione in legge, con modificazioni, del decreto-legge 27 luglio 2005, n. 144, recante misure urgenti per il contrasto del terrorismo internazionale |url=http://www.camera.it/parlam/leggi/05155l.htm |publisher=[[Italian Chamber of Deputies]] |language=it |date=2005-08-01 |access-date=2009-11-27 |archive-date=2010-02-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209035427/http://www.camera.it/parlam/leggi/05155l.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> subjecting interested entities to first apply for permission to open at the [[Polizia di Stato|Police Headquarters]] of jurisdiction<ref name="camera01"/><ref name="tomshardware01">{{cite news |url=http://www.tomshw.it/cont/news/diffondiamo-il-wi-fi-proposta-di-legge-bi-partisan/22980/1.html |publisher=[[Tom's Hardware]] |language=it |title=Diffondiamo il Wi-Fi, proposta di legge bi-partisan |date=2009-11-26 |access-date=2009-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091128110110/http://www.tomshw.it/cont/news/diffondiamo-il-wi-fi-proposta-di-legge-bi-partisan/22980/1.html |archive-date=2009-11-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and that such hotspot's customers were subjected to identification, by presenting an [[identity document]].<ref name="camera01"/><ref name="tomshardware01"/> This inhibited the opening of hotspots across Italy,<ref name="espresso02"/> with a number of hotspots 5 times lower than France and the conspicuous absence of [[Municipal wireless network]]s.<ref name="espresso02"/> Considering the above-mentioned law was too strict, a [[Bill (proposed law)|proposed law]] was proposed to facilitate the opening and access of Wi-Fi Hotspots,<ref name="puntoinformatico01">{{cite news |url=http://punto-informatico.it/2761285/PI/News/wifi-cassinelli-libera-tutti.aspx |publisher=[[Punto Informatico]] |language=it |title=WiFi, Cassinelli libera tutti? |date=2009-11-26 |access-date=2009-11-27}}</ref> although it was not clear how it should have been possible.<ref name="puntoinformatico01"/>
Only at the end of 2010, a bipartisan bill allowed for the repeal of article 7 of the Pisanu law.<ref>[http://punto-informatico.it/3004602/PI/News/decreto-pisanu-pronto-cestino.aspx Decreto Pisanu, pronto il cestino?] [[Punto Informatico]] 10/10/2010</ref> The abrogation was finally made by the [[Monti Cabinet]], which has not entered the renewal extension in the decree of 2011, so that the provision is no longer in force since January 1, 2012.<ref>DECRETO-LEGGE 29 dicembre 2011, n. 216, in G.U. n. 302 del 29 dicembre 2011 - in vigore dal 29 dicembre 2011 - Proroga di termini previsti da disposizioni legislative.</ref><ref>[http://zambardino.blogautore.repubblica.it/2011/12/31/ve-lo-ricordate-il-decreto-pisanu-solo-adesso-forse-se-ne-va-davvero/ Zambardino], La repubblica, December 31, 2011</ref>

Currently internet filtering in Italy is applied on web-sites which display child pornography<ref name="reuters01">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-internet-idUSL0227310120070102 |work=[[Reuters]] |title=Italy enacts law to block child porn Web sites |date=2007-01-02 |access-date=2011-02-23}}</ref> and on some P2P web-sites (including the most famous [[The Pirate Bay#Italy|The Pirate Bay]]). A pervasive filtering is applied to those gambling websites that don't have a local license to operate in Italy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aams.gov.it/?id=6650 |title= Home - Agenzia delle dogane e dei Monopoli|website=www.aams.gov.it |access-date=2011-02-23}}</ref>

In February 2023, Italy's Data Protection Authority (GPDP) banned the AI chatbot [[Replika]], citing potential risks it posed to minors and people with emotional fragility.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pollina |first1=Elvira |last2=Coulter |first2=Martin |title=Italy bans U.S.-based AI chatbot Replika from using personal data |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/italy-bans-us-based-ai-chatbot-replika-using-personal-data-2023-02-03/ |work=Reuters |language=en |date=3 February 2023}}</ref> The next month, the GPDP ordered [[OpenAI]] to block [[ChatGPT]], citing privacy concerns in how personal data is processed and failure to verify if users are over age 13.<ref>{{cite news |last1=D'Emilio |first1=Frances |last2=O'Brient |first2=Matt |title=Italy temporarily blocks ChatGPT over privacy concerns |url=https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-ai-data-privacy-italy-66634e4d9ade3c0eb63edab62915066f |access-date=1 April 2023 |work=Associated Press News |date=31 March 2023 |language=en}}</ref> OpenAI restored access to its chatbot by the end of April, saying it had addressed or clarified the GPDP's concerns.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Robertson |first1=Adi |title=ChatGPT returns to Italy after ban |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/28/23702883/chatgpt-italy-ban-lifted-gpdp-data-protection-age-verification |access-date=30 April 2023 |work=The Verge |date=28 April 2023}}</ref>

==Copyright and content regulation ==
In October 2020, the vice secretary of the [[Conte II Cabinet]] Andrea Martella proposed to make mandatory for [[over-the-top media service]] the payment of copyright royalties in favour of the content producers,<ref name="editoria.tv" /> and also to introduce a [[Internet tax|web tax]] to provide public schools and for individual citizens with discounted subscriptions of Italian online and paper journals.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.huffingtonpost.it/entry/editoria-andrea-martella-nuova-legge-subito-dopo-la-manovra_it_5da9b812e4b0e0f0378a99c7 | title = Editoria, Andrea Martella: "Nuova legge subito dopo la manovra" | journal = [[Huffington Post]] | date = October 18, 2019 | language = it}}</ref> He also suggested to speed up the conversion decrees of the [[Copyright law of the European Union|EU copyright directive]], to extend the censoring powers of the Italian public authority [[Agcom|Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni]] (AgCom) in order to contrast [[online piracy]] and [[fake news]],<ref name="editoria.tv">{{cite web | url = https://www.editoria.tv/martella-oggi-in-audizione-il-sistema-ha-retto-grazie-al-congelamento-degli-effetti-dei-tagli/ | title = Martella oggi in audizione: "Il sistema ha retto grazie al congelamento degli effetti dei tagli" | date = April 19, 2020 | access-date = October 1, 2020 | language = it}}</ref> and to establish a [[minimum wage]] for unstable journalists of the Italian newspapers.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/gedi-exor-martella-testate-patrimonio-paese-mantenere-occupazione-ACAm622?refresh_ce=1 | title = Gedi-Exor? Martella: "Testate patrimonio del Paese, mantenere l'occupazione" | date = December 3, 2019 | access-date = October 1, 2020 | language = it | journal = [[Il Sole 24 Ore]]}}</ref>

In 2023, a law was passed which requires all ISPs, [[Public recursive name server|public DNS servers]], and [[VPN service]]s to participate in a site blocking scheme known as Piracy Shield, which is intended to prevent piracy of premium content such as television programming and sports broadcasts. Site blocking requests are made by rightsholders without judicial review, and processed by AgCom. Participants must implement the requests within 30 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-02-19 |title=Italy: Piracy Shield live but needs retweaking |url=https://advanced-television.com/2024/02/19/italy-piracy-shield-live-but-needs-retweaking/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Advanced Television |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title=Italy deploys "piracy shield" to protect online sports |url=https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2023/12/11/italy-deploys-piracy-shield-to-protect-online-sports/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Broadband TV News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Telecommunications in Italy]]
* [[Censorship in Italy]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://opennet.net/research/profiles/italy Italy profile], on [[OpenNet Initiative]] website.
* [http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2010/07/08/non-e-un-paese-per-internet-in-cinque-anni-dieci-leggi-contro-la-rete/37734/ «Non è un paese per Internet. In cinque anni dieci leggi contro la Rete» (in Italian)], article from the newspaper ''[[Il Fatto Quotidiano]]''.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090326165048/http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PGP_PRD_CAT_PREREL/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2008/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2008_MONTH_12/4-02122008-EN-BP.PDF Internet access and use in the EU27 in 2008], [[Eurostat]] news release.
* [http://www.weforum.org/pdf/gitr/2009/Rankings.pdf The Networked Readiness Index 2008–2009 rankings] (from the [https://web.archive.org/web/20090428225007/http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/gcp/Global%20Information%20Technology%20Report/index.htm Global Information Technology Report 2008-2009]), [[World Economic Forum]].

{{Internet in Europe}}
{{Italy topics}}

[[Category:Internet in Italy| ]]