TIM and Open Fiber pick up €3.4 billion in broadband funding
Italian telcos TIM and Open Fiber have won government funding worth a total of €3.4 billion to roll out high-speed fixed broadband to uneconomic areas of the country.
Italian telcos TIM and Open Fiber have won government funding worth a total of €3.4 billion to roll out high-speed fixed broadband to uneconomic areas of the country.
The Italian government has opened a tender for more than €500 million worth of funding for the provision of 5G connectivity to areas without high-speed mobile coverage.
The boss of Italian telco TIM will soon broker a deal to merge its fibre network assets with those of rival Open Fiber, but admits it has not been smooth sailing.
Shareholders of Italian broadband providers Tiscali and Linkem have approved their merger plan, paving the way for completion of the deal later this year.
Italian operator group TIM has formally agreed to begin talks with CDP with a view to defining the terms of a merger with Open Fiber by the end of April.
Iliad has had a slap on the wrist in Italy for misleading consumers over its 5G offer… and it’s not happy about it.
TIM has received an approach from CVC Capital partners, which is looking to buy into its enterprise services business.
TIM and its partners have submitted their bid in the tender for Italy’s cloud hub project, and it’s a tender they are likely confident of winning, given that they essentially designed it.
TIM has instructed its chairman and chief exec to begin formal talks with KKR on the proposed takeover deal, but this story is a long way from its conclusion still.
KKR is apparently still interested in acquiring TIM, but has reportedly shaved around a fifth off its original offer price.
TIM plans to split its business into two separate legal entities, a move that will likely help it fend off a takeover bid from KKR.
Having overbid for 5G spectrum a few years ago, Italian operators are apparently panicking now that the payments to the government are due.
UK telco has confirmed French telecoms group Iliad offered to buy its Italian operation and that the offer was rejected.
BAI Communications is taking its neutral host business to Italy, headed up by a team of executives, most of whom have worked at TIM at one time or another.
Iliad has reportedly made a takeover bid for Vodafone’s Italian unit, while Orange is exploring the possibility of a merger with MasMovil in Spain, according to the industry rumour mill.
TIM’s broad of directors has charged new chief exec Pietro Labriola with examining options for the future of its infrastructure assets, which could include a network spin-off.
French telco group Iliad launched its fixed broadband service in Italy on Tuesday with all the whooping and hollering one would expect from a new market entrant.
The news that Pietro Labriola will be TIM’s new CEO is hardly a surprise, but rumours of M&A in the Italian telecoms market are perhaps more unexpected.
Italy has launched a major ultra-broadband tender worth €3.7 billion just days after it failed to attract interest in its first attempt to allocate EU funding.
Italy’s telecoms players have all declined to take part in a project to roll out high-speed broadband in its islands, an outcome that could have a knock-on effect.
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