Vivendi welcomes Italian government’s stance on TIM

French group Vivendi, the largest single shareholder in Telecom Italia (TIM), is eager to begin discussions with Italy’s government over the plan to create a single national broadband network by merging TIM’s fixed networks business with state-backed wholesale provider Open Fiber. A report from Reuters cites Vivendi sources as saying that they welcome a statement by cabinet undersecretary Alessio Butti this weekend which confirmed that Italy’s new government sees the creation of a single network as a ‘priority’. New Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier committed to ensuring that strategic networks are under state control.