Telecoms: Italy

Elitel today announced the availability of a converged fixed-mobile service targeted to its business customers.
Thanks to a dual-mode Wi-Fi/GSM handset supplied by Qtek, Elitel is offering the converged option to its business VoIP customers.
A similar converged offer targeted to business customers has been recently announced also by BT Albacom.
However, for both solutions the fixed and mobile bills will be kept separated, because none of the fixed line operators can act as mobile virtual network operator yet.

Elitel confirmed its ambition to become a full fledged virtual mobile network operator. So far it has announced the availability of a converged fixed-mobile service based on dual mode Wi-Fi/GSM handsets, but the company is confident to sign a wholesale agreement with a major mobile network operator in the next few months in order to be able to offer also unified fixed-mobile billings to its business customers.
The company also announced that anytime soon it will sign a roaming agreement regarding Wi-Fi hotspots.

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.

Just a few days after abandoning its convergent strategy, Telecom Italia finally launched its long delayed Unico Wi-Fi/GSM service. Actually, Telecom Italia changed the name (and gender in the Italian language) from Unico to Unica.

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 National Regulatory Authority is expected today to release new rules concerning the fixed-mobile convergent services that has been formerly blocked by harsh litigation between Telecom Italia and Vodafone.