Communications Regulatory Authority

TV services might become the next killer application for mobile communication
systems. Therefore, AGCOM decided to spur product innovation by defining a light
regulation which will go with the development of the market and that, at the same time,
will be in line with the European regulatory project and its own institutional targets
(connected in particular with the respect of pluralism and competition). Therefore the
regulation aims at spurring the spreading of the service, by directing it towards a
development which is ideal for the well-being of the national community (cf. paragraph
2.6.).
Italy is the only European country in which almost all mobile operators are about to
start commercial DVB-H-related projects. These operators have adopted different
strategies. For instance, the H3G mobile operator chose to have its own network to
transmit DVB-H contents and to this end, in November 2005, it acquired Canale 7, a
TV station having a licence for digital terrestrial broadcasting on the national territory.
Thanks to this and to other minor acquisitions H3G launched mobility TV services on
part of the national territory. Whereas other operators (Vodafone and TIM in particular)
decided to lease part of the transmission band of the DVB-H network which is being
developed by Mediaset following the acquisition of the terrestrial analogue frequencies
of Europa TV. In any case, also the other mobile operators will soon be ready to make
available mobility TV services for their users.
Internet market
The number of Internet users in Italy is close to 28 million; most of them – 23 million –
belong to the residential segment, which, over the year, had the highest increase
(14.5%). In the business segment and in the “school and public education”, increases
were by 10.5% and 8% respectively.
Revenues from Internet services – access services as well as web housing and web
hosting services – reached 3.3 billion euros (figure 1.24.) and make up for 19.7% of
fixed line services.
Figure 1.24. Trend of revenues from Internet services in Italy (€ billion)
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