French telco Iliad has launched its low-cost mobile operator in Italy with a special offer for its first one million users. Iliad Italy is providing unlimited calls, unlimited SMS and 30GB of data for EUR5.99 (USD6.93) a month, which it says is up to five times cheaper than an equivalent offer from Vodafone Italy and half the price of its next cheapest rival, Wind Tre.
The French-owned firm is deploying networks utilising 2G, 3G and 4G LTE-A technologies and has a roaming deal with Wind Tre to provide nationwide coverage while it builds out its own infrastructure. Meanwhile, the newcomer has also opened over 100 retail outlets and has installed so-called ‘SIM box’ vending machines in shopping malls. The Iliad SIM card can be bought for an upfront fee of EUR9.99.
Iliad says it plans to spend EUR1 billion in Italy in the medium term, including the acquisition of spectrum licences for future 5G services. It is expecting to garner a market share of up to 10%. Iliad is entering a mobile market of almost 80 million users served by three well established cellcos – Vodafone, TIM and Wind Tre – as well as numerous MVNOs.