Communications Regulatory Authority

Source: IDC, 2006 | * Forecasts
The most significant phenomenon in the national Internet market is undoubtedly the
growth of broadband accesses: as at March 2006 (figure 1.25.) in Italy there were 7.1
million broadband connections, with 6.9 million using ADSL technology (97% against
93% in 2004), which proves to be by far as the prevailing platform on the market.
Figure 1.25. Broadband lines in Italy (million)
Total accesses Adsl
Source: Corporate data processed by AGCOM
As pointed out in figure 1.26., Italy is the fourth market in Europe for the spreading of
broadband, with a growth rate as much as 187% for broadband lines, over the last two
years; such growth rate is higher than the one of other major European countries: in
order to have an idea, in the same reference period, the average increase in broadband
lines in “Euro-15” Countries was considerably lower and equal to 144%. After all, data
show a clear turn-around, with a significant recovery for Italy, which appears both in
absolute value and in terms of growth, as one of the most dynamic markets in Europe.
The considerable growth recorded during the year can be explained by the strong
commercial boost by TLC operators. The launch on the market of unlimited ADSL
connections with a monthly price below € 20 played a major role in this environment.
The introduction of these offers contributed to cut considerably the average cost of
66