Telecoms: Italy

Three our of four mobile network operators in Italy heavily invested in DVB-H networks and they are now ready to launch broadcast-like mobile TV services.

H3G is the most active one promoting its new mobile TV services. A massive TV campaign is underway to lure consumers into the new medium. The company even copyrighted the new word ‘TVfonino’ meaning a mobile handset with TV capability. Both TIM and Vodafone are expected to soon launch similar campaigns just in time for the FIFA World Cup due to start in a few weeks.

Will Italians hurry up to watch TV on a tiny screen? I doubt it very much.

Starting with the next ‘Serie A’ football season in September 2006, Telecom Italia will offer its premium content with a ‘converged’ subscription model. Through a single subscription, Telecom Italia’s customers will be able to watch live football matches delivered over IPTV (ADSL + set-top box), broadband connections (ADSL + PC) and mobile (DVB-H equipped handsets).

Parla.it decided to abandon the H.323 protocol favouring SIP for its VoIP services.

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.

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.

Vodafone is going to broadcast mobile TV premium content supplied by SKY Italia on its mobile-TV network based on DVB-H technology.

Telecom Italia will design and deploy a terrestrial repeater network throughout Italy for WorldSpace Italia to facilitate the start of commercial satellite radio in Italy.

Italian State owned broadcaster RAI said it is co-operating with Cisco to design a new mixed-mode DVT-T and IPTV set top box.

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

Alcatel-Lucent, the mobile operator 3 Italia and Italian public broadcaster RAI are launching the first trial of Mobile TV based on the DVB-SH standard in Italy.

During today's Analyst & Investor Briefing, Telecom Italia confirmed the lower than expected take-up of its IPTV service Rosso Alice.

WorldSpace Italia expects to begin broadcasting throughout Italy in late 2008. The content bouquet is expected to consist of 40-50 channels of commercial-free music, news, entertainment, talk and sports programming that will likely be sold at € 8 per month.

TI Media, the ailing broadcaster owned by Telecom Italia, is selling its pay-per-view operation over DVB-T digital terrestrial television to Swedish company Airplus TV.