Italy’s industry minister has given his strong support to the project to merge the fibre assets of Telecom Italia (TIM) and wholesale operator Open Fiber to create a national high-speed broadband network. In an interview with Italian financial daily Il Sole 24, Stefano Patuanelli suggested new equity investments from state lender CDP could be used on strategically important ventures such as high-speed broadband networks. He said he looked “very favourably” on the single TIM-Open Fiber broadband project, describing it as “fundamental for the country”.
The minister’s comments come after talks between TIM and Open Fiber appear to have stalled due to regulatory, funding and business issues. Earlier this year, Italy’s economy minister Roberto Gualtieri likewise called on the parties to hammer out a deal to speed up the development of a unified network and prevent duplication.
