Telecom Italia (TIM) and local authorities lauded the expected impact of introducing reliable mobile coverage to the area around Lake Tovel, a location previously lacking connectivity but attracting 100,000 tourists during summer months.

Lake Tovel is located in the Italy’s Autonomous Province of Trento within a national park in The Dolomites. TIM noted the new infrastructure uses a base station and pylon located upstream of the lake, in facilities used by local authorities.

The operator added the equipment will deliver 4G and 5G coverage to a 15 square kilometre area, providing a way to make emergency and rescue calls alongside serving the needs of the local population.

Samuel Valentini, Mayor of the Municipality of Ville d’Anaunia who’s remit includes the lake’s location, stated the deployment was made after requests made over “some time” on safety grounds.

He noted people were previously “forced to travel up to 10 kilometres in order to make an emergency call”.

Alongside general issues encountered in remote and mountainous areas by tourists, the area also has a population of bears.