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Telecom Italia is Italy’s biggest provider of fixed line and mobile network services
Telecom Italia’s chief executive officer, Luigi Gubitosi, has said he would welcome a proposed merger between his company and Italy’s broadband infrastructure provider, Open Fiber, according to reports in the press.
Speaking at a conference in Florence, Gubitosi told journalists from Reuters that he would be consulting with members of the Telecom Italia board in the near future over a potential deal.
"In the coming months we will discuss things with our board and with our shareholders to see what the next steps will be,” he said, adding that he thought that a merger would be positive step for both companies.
The Italian government has previously stated its preference for one single nationwide broadband provider in order to streamline the rollout of fibre to the home (FTTH) services across the country.
"We are working to set the conditions in order to create a single player to distribute internet and broadband," Italy’s deputy prime minister, Luigi Di Maio, was quoted as saying, late last year.
Open Fiber is co-owned by the Italian state lender, Cassa Depositi e Prestit. CDP is in turn TIM’s second biggest shareholder.
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