Communications Regulatory Authority
Communications Regulatory Authority
Communications Regulatory Authority
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Data mentioned so far outline a national fixed TLC market with its traditional<br />
component (voce traffic) showing a structural decline. In order to cope with this process<br />
as well as to meet consumers’ needs - as described in detail in the previous paragraph -<br />
integrated fixed-to-mobile offers have been introduced.<br />
Figure1.21. National market of fixed line services, installed lines (million)<br />
Source: IDC, 2006 | * Forecasts<br />
Telecom Italia has currently adopted some convergent initiatives by launching<br />
combined call charge plans (for fixed to mobile and from mobile to fixed calls<br />
respectively) both for residential and business users.<br />
Based on what is happening abroad, in the future, these pricing promotions could be<br />
followed by real integrated offers by fixed operators envisaging the use of a mobile<br />
phone with UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) technology. Such standard was<br />
developed within the group having the same name, composed of a number of TLC<br />
operators and companies selling mobile phones (among which British Telecom, Alcatel,<br />
Motorola and Siemens) in order to develop convergent services using radio frequency<br />
bands for which licenses were not allocated (such as Bluetooth and wi-fi).<br />
Still with regard to fixed-to-mobile integration, strategies of operators working in the<br />
mobile sector are to be mentioned. For instance, Vodafone Italia launched an offer with<br />
cheap prices for calls from mobile phones to fixed network numbers (up to an agreed<br />
amount of airtime) in a specific place chosen by the user (such as home or office). The<br />
application of different pricing plans (preferential prices for calls to fixed network made<br />
in the place chosen by the user and regular pricing plan for calls made outside such<br />
place) is made possible by the fact that the mobile network can identify the user<br />
position.<br />
Taking into consideration data transmission services (comprising Managed Data<br />
Network Services – MDNS – which include ATM, Frame Relay, X.25 and IPVPN) and<br />
dedicated circuits for business users, it is estimated that in 2005 the market (figure<br />
1.19.) exceeded on the whole 1.3 billion euros, with a 1.4% increase compared to 2004.<br />
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