ROME-A joint venture of France Telecom Group, Deutsche Telekom AG and the Italian electric company, Enel, was formed to bid for the third mobile license and create an alternative carrier in Italy, the fourth-largest market in Europe.
Enel holds 51 percent, while Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom hold equal stakes in the company, totaling 49 percent. Sprint Corp., a partner with Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom in the Global One consortium, may participate in the Italian venture later.
The new carrier is expecting the Italian market to grow significantly in the next decade because of deregulation, strong consumer demand and new service offerings to include a full range of voice, data and wireless services.
“We are delighted to be participating in the Italian telecommunications market with Enel and our global partner France Telecom,” said Ron Sommer, chairman of the board of management of Deutsche Telekom.
