FASTWEB S.p.A (Milano, MTAX: FWB), Italy's leading alternative fixed broadband telecommunications provider, has signed a mobile virtual network operator agreement with 3 Italia, the mobile media company which is leader in UMTS telecommunications in Italy with 7.7 million clients and which is part of the Hutchison Whampoa Group.
The agreement will enable FASTWEB to offer mobile telephone services (voice, data and video) to its residential and business clients thus taking maximum advantage of the two most innovative and technologically advanced platforms in today's fixed and mobile network telecommunications industry.
The partnership agreement will give FASTWEB complete freedom in defining and developing its services and, thanks to the integration of the new mobile platforms with its own broadband network, FASTWEB will be able to capitalize on previous investment and on the services already developed for its 1.25 million fixed network clients.
As a result, FASTWEB will compete on the mobile telephony market with its own range of convergent services, for example high-speed Internet access, email, voicemail and other solutions will be also available on the mobile device. FASTWEB will define its business strategy and pricing policy and will develop its value added services on a fully independent basis.
The service will be marketed by the FASTWEB sales network, on a subscriber and prepaid card basis, and will use the numbering 373.
Customer care for the new mobile offer will be managed directly by FASTWEB and the Company will establish itself as a single-source provider to its customers for all their telecommunications needs (fixed telephony, internet, TV, mobile communications) thus extending its consolidated premium quality brand to the mobile service.
The launch of the new mobile operator will be during the second half of 2008.
"We are very pleased with the agreement signed with 3 Italia, which is based on excellent technological and economic conditions," said FASTWEB's Chief Executive Officer, Stefano Parisi. "Thanks to the scalability of the next generation network deployed by FASTWEB, we are able to integrate the mobile service without heavy investment. Soon we will be able to offer our customers a unique experience in the management of all their telecommunications requirements thanks to the choice of a partner that has been a pioneer in the development of third generation mobile services and has an outstanding multimedia expertise".
"3 Italia and Fastweb are leading companies in their respective sectors- said 3 Italia's CEO, Vincenzo Novari - both focused on innovation, technology and broadband. The deal, that moves significantly away from those already subscribed in Italy, it is not just about providing mobile phone traffic volumes, but aims to promote a full portfolio of third generation services, thanks to the provision of 3G datacard and handsets that benefit from economies of scale granted by an important International partner like Hutchison Whampoa".