Italy’s competition authorities have opened an investigation into an agreement between telecommunications operators Fastweb and Telecom Italia (TIM) involving the joint development of fifth-generation mobile infrastructure and the sharing of network assets across the country.
The move was announced Monday by Italy’s antitrust watchdog, which said it would examine whether the arrangement complies with national competition rules, according to a statement published in the regulator’s weekly bulletin.
The agreement, first disclosed in January, involves TIM and Fastweb — the Italian unit of Swisscom — and is aimed at accelerating the rollout of 5G services, particularly in less densely populated parts of Italy. Per a statement issued at the time, the companies said the partnership was designed to expand mobile coverage more efficiently and support faster deployment of next-generation connectivity in areas where infrastructure investment can be more challenging.
Read more: European Commission Clears Telecom Deals in Italy and Spain
Italy’s antitrust authority said it has launched a formal review of the deal and will assess whether the arrangement could restrict competition in the telecommunications sector, according to a statement in the regulator’s bulletin.
The investigation is expected to run through April 2027, when the authority plans to determine whether the network-sharing agreement violates competition laws. Per a statement from the regulator, the review will focus on the potential market impact of the cooperation between the two telecom groups as Italy continues expanding its 5G infrastructure.
Source: Global Banking and Finance