Telecom Italia looking to double fibre and 4G user bases this year

The chief executive of Telecom Italia (TI) has said his company is hoping to double the number of customers on its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) and fibre broadband networks by the end of the year. Marco Patuano told Il Sole 24 Ore that the telco is looking to increase its 4G user base to over four million by year-end, while it is seeking to double the fibre subscriber total, which stood at 316,000 at the end of March. Meanwhile, TI also hopes to hit one million pay-TV customers within the next twelve months, up from around 400,000 currently, with take-up to be boosted by a recent deal to provide content from Sky and a proposed tie-up with Mediaset Premium.