Assoprovider: Italian Small Providers Association
Assoprovider is an Independent Association of Internet Service Providers companies (ISP).
Founded in July 1999, the aim of Assoprovider is to fight against the power of the big telecommunications operators. The association is legally represented by its president, Mr. Matteo Fici.
When, a few years ago, the big telecommunications operators entered in the ISP market, the small operators, who made the initial investments to bring the Internet to Italy, were seriuosly damaged by the power of the big corporations.
The association counts over 190 italian companies of Internet Services and connectivity. Our aim is to fulfill the gap that separates Italy from the most advanced countries. In particular Assoprovider is working to promote the Internet to let Italy reach a front rank position in the world.
Always in the frontline, also with important demonstrations, Assoprovider successfully defended the rights of its category promoting legal actions and making petitions to the italian Communications Guarantor Authority, to the Antitrust and to the Advertisement Authority.
Assoprovider has many commitments: since december, 2000 it joined the national Confcommercio group and its president, Mr. Matteo Fici is part of the board of directors of Confcommercio; it deals with politicians and institutions to improve the market rules, it also deals with the Internet Governance exchanging views with the Italian Naming Authorithy, with ICANN and with EuroISPA. Assoprovider has been a permanent member of the Information Society Forum of the italian Ministero delle Comunicazioni, and it officially collaborates for Internet matters with: Ministero delle Comunicazioni, Ministero dell'Industria, Ministero dei Trasporti, Garante delle Comunicazioni.
Thanks to Assoprovider has been approved the law n. 59 of year 2000. The law was named "salvaprovider" (provider saver) and it let the small ISP to be legally considered as the others Telephony Operators. To acheive the objective, Assoprovider organized two big demonstrations in front of Montecitorio and the Senate.
The Assoprovider vice-president has been also elected as the Italian Naming Authority vice-president. The Italian Naming Authority estabilishes the technical rules that the Italian Registration Authority should apply to register a Country Code Top Level Domain.
In the most recent activity of our associations we'd like to point out our presence in the commission about Internet and the underages, for the prevention of the pedopornography crimes over the Internet.
Also we'd like to point out our commitment for the freedom of the marketplace in Italy and for the development of wireless providers (WI-FI and 802.xx standards). Assoprovider also promotes the economic activities of its category and promotes the creation of many benefits for its associates. With this aim, during our last meeting, the association created a commission of 6 members for the creation of a Service Company for Assoprovider and its partners.
At last, Assoprovider directly participate to the E-Content project for a euopean-level development of Mountain tourism, based on the development of 3rd generation Internet Services and opened to further development of other similar projects.
