According to four sources familiar with the situation, Italy may encourage competition by limiting a couple of aspects in which a broadband supplier may even win in tenders where rising services are provided by a single operator.
According to Reuters, Italian Innovation Minister Vittorio Colao has met with European Union officials about the cap as Rome prepares to spend nearly 7 billion euros ($8 billion) from the EU Recovery Fund to expand ultra-fast connectivity.
The country’s telecommunications industry is currently in turmoil as a result of KKR’s proposal to buy Telecom Italia, Italy’s largest phone company (TIM).
According to two sources, one option under consideration to ensure a competitive broadband environment is a 50 % cap on tenders that can truly be bid on, implying that no single bidder could protect more than half of single-provider zones, also known as “grey areas.”
According to sources, Brussels is unofficially pushing hard for the 50 % cap, but Rome might prefer for quite a larger value, with a cap of up to 66 % getting considered.
The former Vodafone CEO’s approach to competition represents a U-turn from the previous government’s plan to merge sector incumbent TIM’s fixed-line with rival Open Fiber, with TIM owning – at least initially – a majority stake in the combined entity.
When KKR paid 1.8 billion euros for a 37.5 % stake in TIM’s last-mile network which connects street cabinets to homes of people the year before, the single network initiative was on the table.
KKR has proposed a non-binding cash suggestion for TIM worth 10.8 billion euros, according to sources, to protect the US fund’s investment in TIM’s grid.
Under the EU-funded plan, Italy will cover a portion of the cost of broadband infrastructure, possibly up to 70%, while leaving network ownership to the operators who built it.
To expedite the rollout while preserving competition, Rome introduced a measure this month requiring operators to share installation costs and coordinate permit requests if they work in the same area.
($1 = 0.8926 euros)
Source: Reuters
Ghada Ashour, who grew up in Gaza, becomes fifth scholar selected for FIA’s flagship scholarship initiative Dubai, UAE, 8th December, 2025: The FIA’s United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) Campaign has welcomed Ghada Ashour, a 24-year-old student from Palestine, to its flagship scholarship programme, created to empower the next generation of researchers in the fight against online abuse in sport. Ghada grew up in Gaza where she has been studying remotely until gaining her place on the UAOA scholarship, which brought her to Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland. Becoming the fifth scholar to join the scholarship, she was selected based on her interests in social media, and her strong passion for advancing insights in this area for the benefit of everyone participating in sport. Launched in 2023, the programme offers talented students and young professionals from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research on the impact, prevalence, and prevention of online abuse in sport with a focus on developing practical solutions. Funded by the FIA Foundation, the UAOA scholars have been selected to undertake invaluable research at DCU based on their project proposals, dedication to achieving positive social change, and their unique perspectives approaching this issue. Ghada’s thesis, which will be printed in English and translated into Arabic, will focus specifically on the …
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