Telecoms: Italy

Telespazio announced the availability of a new hi-res interactive mapping service developed by Seat Pagine Gialle that leverages its satellite images, aerial images and advanced interactive technology to deliver a rich multimedia experience

Local utility company Selene deployed first in Italy a PLC (Power Line Communication) broadband commercial service in Brescia, a mid-size city in Northern Italy.

A new rule set by the National Regulatory Authority (AGCOM) forces all fixed operators and ISPs to measure their quality of service according to a common policy.

Italian network operator Elitel has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FON Wireless Limited in order to support Wi-Fi access sharing over broadband lines.

Telecom Italia is expected to sign next week a strong partnership with News Corporation regarding content licensing.

Fastweb decided to adopt a new open decoder for its renewed IPTV service. New customers will get a new IPTV set top box working also as open HD-ready DVB-T digital terrestrial receiver.

Tomorrow the long awaited Italian football season will begin. For the first time, Serie A football matches will also be available live over mobile DVB-H-capable videophones.

Fixed-mobile convergence, “one company” model, multi-platform content delivery, … Telecom Italia was just kidding. The new stategy of the Italian incumbent is to sell its mobile subsidiary TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile), that was merged into the main company less than two years ago with much fanfare about synergies and “strategic advantages” of the fixed-mobile convergence.

Fastweb and Vodafone announced their first fixed broadband and mobile convergent offer targeted to consumers.

Despite the current turmoil in the company, Telecom Italia was able to successfully bid for the German operation of AOL.
The Italian incumbent bought AOL Germany from Time Warner for € 675 million.

Telecom Italia and Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) have struck a deal to offer on-demand major blockbuster movies from the US movie studio Telecom Italia’s TV via Internet service and Telecom’s Italia ADSL portal.

Fastweb and Sky Italia, the Italian satellite operator fully owned by News Corporation, have today announced a major joint partnership agreement regarding content distribution and co-marketing.

Pirelli Broadband Solutions is supplying dual-mode GSM/Wi-Fi handsets to German operator Arcor (part of Vodafone group) and French operator Free (part of Iliad group).

The Italian subsidiary of Skype is recruiting new people and is expected to launch the SkypeIn service using nomadic numbering according to the new VoIP regulation.

After having recently disposed also of its Dutch operation, Tiscali announced a new three-year plan (2007- 2010) focusing on Italy and the UK only.
According to an official statement of the Board of Directors,

Tiscali will transition from Isp to full-service provider, delivering telecommunication and media integrated services to the end customer (with the relevant expansion on the physical access, voice and Iptv markets), through a full network and service IP model combining product innovation and marketing aggressiveness.

An administrative court (TAR) blocked the fastest ADSL service offered by Telecom Italia, branded Alice 20 Mega. The Court ruled that Telecom Italia cannot sell Alice 20 Mega because it does not offer a suitable wholesale service to other OLOs and ISPs.

The Milan Internet eXchange (MIX), the primary Internet exchange point in Italy, has opened a new VoIP service to facilitate inter-carrier VoIP peering and interconnection.

According to an analysis run by Internet performance monitoring company Renesys, Telecom Italia Sparkle has resulted as the largest IP carrier in terms of transit relationships in the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin

Fastweb has chosen to enhance its national network with the Cisco Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture. This upgrade, implemented by Italtel, a Cisco strategic alliance partner, will expand Fastweb's national network capacity and enhance quality-of-service (QoS) capabilities in order to support the rising demand for standard- and high-definition video services and the continuing growth of its consumer and business customer base.

Yesterday Telecom Italia opened to wholesale operators its new ADSL2+ access network with Ethernet-based backhauling.

Dhiraagu the national communications provider and largest service operator of the Republic of Maldives, has awarded Telecom Italia Sparkle one of its first international links via submarine cable.

According to a recent research by ANIE, Italian households do embrace more and more technology, but they are really still in love only with their mobile phones.

Tiscali confirmed it is planning to launch an IPTV service in Italy next quarter.

Tiscali is to buy the broadband and voice division of UK-based Pipex for an agreed enterprise value of £ 210 million.

Telecom Italia is considering selling its undeperforming French assets.

BT Italia has been a long-time advocate of fixed-mobile converged services targeting the business community.

Vodafone Italia started switching its clients' web-based mailboxes (xxxxx@vodafone.it) to Google's Gmail.

Iliad, owner of French internet service provider Free, is the likely new owner of Alice France, Telecom Italia's French brand with an estimated 1 m broadband customers.

Iliad and Telecom Italia are aiming to complete the transaction by the end of September 2008 on the basis of an enterprise value of € 800 m.

Fastweb will launch the first 100 Mbit/s internet access service in Italy dedicated to small- and medium-sized enterprises before the year end leveraging its FTTH network.

Although Vodafone Italia has yet to release any official sales data, its consumer FMC service (Vodafone Casa Internet e Telefono) launched last summer is rumored to be highly successful.