Blu May be Back in Italian 3G Frame

date: 12th January 2001, source: bwcs.com

The chairman of the Italian telecoms regulator, Enzo Cheli, has given the green light to Blu to make a move on one of the successful 3G licence winners. Pressed on the subject by Il Sole 24 Ore, Cheli admitted that there was nothing to stop the BT-backed operator becoming a shareholder in one of the five companies granted a 3G licence in Italy.

At the time of the licence bidding Blu caused a storm by withdrawing in the early stages of the auction process. Its move threw the whole process into confusion and left the government with egg on its face and a much smaller set of bids than it had hoped for.

The successful applicants for 3G licences in Italy were – Vodafone-backed Omnitel Pronto Italia, Ipse (backed by Telefónica), Wind (France Telecom and Enel), Hutchison Whampoa’s Andala and Telecom Italia Mobile. For further information on the Italian 3G licence awards click on the 3G Country Profiles button on the left hand side of this page.

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