Agcom approves rise in Telecom Italia’s unbundling tariffs

Italy’s telecoms regulator Authorità per le Garanzie Comunicazioni (Agcom) has approved plans by Telecom Italia to increase the tariff it charges rival operators to access its network. The price of an unbundled local line will be increased to EUR8.49 a month, up EUR0.85, EUR0.9 less than Telecom Italia’s proposed increase of EUR1.75. Rival operators Fastweb, Vodafone and Tiscali have opposed the rise, claiming that it will damage profit margins and strengthen Telecom Italia’s already dominant market position. At the end of 2008 Telecom Italia reported 17.35 million fixed line subscribers, and an 86% share of the domestic fixed line market.