Broadband labelling schemes, such as those with traffic light symbols, have become increasingly popular to help with greater transparency and fairness. Designed well, they can promote competition, and encourage take-up of faster speeds among consumers
The challenge of retiring the copper network
The transition to full-fibre means that copper retirement is now well underway. So far it has rarely been a straightforward or quick process given the strong regulatory oversight and need to protect those consumers who still rely on the copper network
Regulators diverge on their approach to the 3.4–3.8GHz band
Awards in the band vary widely in terms of prices paid and conditions attached with rollout obligations too burdensome in some cases. It is too early to assess the approach to private networks but most regulators may not be doing enough to facilitate them
Italy’s network spin-off faces regulatory hurdles
After many yeas, Telecom finally announced the start of the legal separation of its copper and fibre network, which could also be the first step towards a merger with wholesale-only operator Open Fiber. But the separation will not be as strong as that of Openreach from BT in the UK
5G and health: how to address the concerns?
Concerns over public health and conspiracy theories saw more than 200 attacks on mobile masts. The anti-5G protests are not a first with previous generations of mobile technology sparked equally intense opposition. Consumer bodies can play an important role in dispelling myths
Making sense of AGCOM’s review of the Italian broadband market
On 18 January 2019, The Italian regulator AGCOM has published the long-awaited draft review of the Wholesale Broadband Access markets (Markets 3a/3b and 4 of the EC’s Recommendation on relevant markets). The proposal aims to deregulate the market in Milan, and introduces nuanced price control remedies in the rest of the country, recognising market evolution of recent years.
Italian government must tread carefully in the TIM–Open Fiber merger
The Italian government is aiming to facilitate the creation of a wholesale-only network provider, resulting from the spin-off of Telecom Italia’s fixed network and its merger with Open Fiber. The move aims to facilitate investment in ultra-broadband, in a country where network duplication is particularly undesirable due to how the population is distributed.
Italy’s 5G auction: a bad deal for operators at the wrong time
On 2 October 2018, Italy’s 5G auction came to a close, after a staggering 14 days of competitive bidding. The amount raised by the auction far exceeded the government’s expectations, reaching €6.5bn across the 700MHz, 3.7GHz, and 26GHz bands. At such a high price, it is likely that Italian MNOs will face challenges in deploying 5G quickly and efficiently.
The debate around the use of the term ‘fibre’ in broadband advertising heats up
The ability to use the term ‘fibre’ in broadband advertising has been subject to debate in several countries recently. In France and Italy regulators have recognised the need to distinguish FTTH or FTTB from FTTC, and to make sure customers are adequately informed on the type of service they are purchasing. The discussion is also lively in the UK, where advertising authorities have recently taken a different stance. However, it is not yet clear whether technology differences matter to customers as much as performance.
Telecom Italia approves network separation plan
On 6 March 2018, Telecom Italia (TIM)’s board approved a plan to move the company’s fixed network assets into a legally separated entity, which will still be part of the group and will be 100% controlled by TIM. According to the plan, access to the network will be granted through a ‘one-stop-shop’ access point for regulated and unregulated wholesale services for all operators including TIM, delivering a 'fully neutral and equivalent' model.
