Telecom Italia is further simplifying the basic prices for calls from the home phone, and introduces some innovations, in line with the economic context of the telecoms sector and market trends. In fact, from 1 November 2014 the Company is eliminating 5.04 eurocent charge for receiving a call, one of the two traditional elements that have always combined to determine the cost of calls, and maintaining a single price of 10 eurocents per minute for all calls made to national landlines and mobile phones. The new price will not apply to customers who have chosen to sign up to specific telephony offers. The 50% discount on calls to national fixed line numbers after the first 3 hours of calls per month is also confirmed.
At the same time as this simplification, the monthly charge for basic telephone service will increase from the current 17.54 euros to 18.54 euros per month, in line with the European average. For those who benefit from special discounts, and for holders of the "Carta Acquisti" (the "Social Card"), the current monthly charge will not change. Nor will the single monthly charge for bundles that include the telephone line and voice and data services. This decision is intended to promote consumer preferences and to support market trends, which in recent years have led to the significant growth of this kind of offer.
With this initiative Telecom Italia wants to offer its customers increasingly transparent prices for their home phone line. Accumulated experience in both mobile and fixed telephony in fact indicates that simplification of the offer translates into more informed use and greater appreciation of the service by customers.
The innovations introduced also take account of the economic context of the telecoms sector. As highlighted in the recent report from regulator AGCom, in fact, the telecommunications consumer price index in Italy has fallen by 44% over the last fifteen years, thanks to technological innovation, market liberalization and the effects of regulation. In international comparisons, too, Italian families on average pay less than families in other European countries.
Telecom Italia also confirms its commitment to developing ultrabroadband infrastructure to meet the growing challenges of competition, and to contribute in this way to achieving the aims of the European Digital Agenda. The Telecom Italia investment plan envisages spending over 3.4 billion euros to develop latest generation technologies in the three year period 2014-2016 in Italy. Telecom Italia is already the leader in both 4G technology, with coverage in over 2000 towns, corresponding to over 70% of the national population, which will reach 80% by the end of 2016, and in terms of fibre optic, thanks to the availability of ultrafast connections providing speeds of between 30 and 100 Megabits/s in over 90 towns and industrial districts, with the aim of reaching 50% of the population by the end of 2016.
Rome, 10 September 2014
