TIM can launch its GSM operations in Brazil. ANATEL, the Brazilian telecommunications Authorityofficially approved the operation announced on August 28, whereby Telecom Italia reduced its shareholding in Solpart (the indirect holding company of Brasil Telecom) to less than 20% of the ordinary share capital, thus enabling TIM to start up its GSM service.
Within a few weeks TIM will be launching its mobile services on GSM standard as first and only operator with a nationwide footprint. TIM is the only operator to have been awarded three PCS (Personal Communication System) licences, that correspond to the three macro-regions into which the country is divided (Region I – Rio de Janeiro and the North and North-eastern States of the country; Region II – Brazil and the south; Region III – San Paolo) in 2001.
The project for a large, pan- regional South American GSM network owned and run by TIM is taking shape. In addition to TIM Brasil, TIM already operates GSM mobile services through its subsidiaries in Peru (TIM Perù) and Venezuela (Digitel) managing the mobile business on behalf of Telecom Italia in Chile and Bolivia and the minor interest in Argentina
The high technological level of TIM´s offer, the low penetration of cellular telephony in South America and the guaranteed quality and safety of GSM are excellent premises for the significant development prospects associated with the project.
According to Group´s industrial plan, TIM’s investments in Brazil will be in excess of € 1 billion.
The launch of the service will take place simultaneously in all the major cities: San Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Vitoria, Brasilia, Goiana, Campo Grande, Cuiaba, Porto Alegre, Belem, etc. and will be quickly extended to other towns in order to be able to serve, by this December, a much vaster area.
“TIM - declared Marco Tronchetti Provera, Telecom Italia Chairman - welcomed Anatel´s decision with great satisfaction. Through this decision which enables TIM to lauch GSM services, the Authority has once again demonstrated great acumen in placing the interests of the country before all other considerations. The quality of the service and the high level of security of the GSM standard, as well as TIM’s technological know-how, constitute a major step forward in the development of this sector for the whole South American region. This is a major opportunity for Brazil: the Brazilian customer will be the real beneficiary of this important decision”.
