(Telecompaper) TIM (Telecom Italia) and Ericsson have reached an agreement to launch a programme entitled "5G for Italy" with a view to creating an open ecosystem for research and implementation of innovative projects enabled by 5G wireless technology. The partners said the initiative was the first in Italy to bring together industries, the public sector, leading universities, research centres, local authorities and small and medium enterprises, focused on the development and testing of new services that use next generation 5G networks as an enabler. 5G for Italy will also deliver industry pilots of possible 5G solutions in areas including smart city, the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, transport and smart agriculture.