Filed under: Apple Corporate, Rumors, iPhone
Italy will have two iPhone carriers
Earlier today we learned that Vodafone has been tagged to carry the iPhone in ten countries, including Italy. Shortly after that announcement Italian communications company Telecom Italia announced that they, too, will carry the iPhone. Neither company provided any more detail than that, so exactly what those plans will look like and how they'll co-exist is unknown. However, we understand that Italians love pay-as-you-go plans. In fact, Vodafone reports that 91% of their current Italian customers lack contracts.
Perhaps a paid vs. contract-free option? Only The Shadow knows. We'll keep you informed, readers.
[Via MacNN]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ryan10ad said 12:34PM on 5-06-2008
A word of advice, Telecom Italia is the fixed line company (like Verzion), while TIM (Telecom Italia's mobile division) is the mobile/cell/wireless provider (like Verizion Wireless).
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ryan10ad said 12:34PM on 5-06-2008
A word of advice, Telecom Italia is the fixed line company (like Verzion), while TIM (Telecom Italia's mobile division) is the mobile/cell/wireless provider (like Verizion Wireless).
Reply
Davide Benini said 1:12PM on 5-06-2008
The news is right; Telecom Italia gave the announcement, if if Tim will be commercialising the iPhone. That because anti-trust law is a joke in Italy, so even if the companies are supposed to be split, the capital and the management is the very same. The fact that this announcement was given by Telecom Italia is ludicrous. And as an Italian I am not very proud of that.
At any rate yes, contracts in Italy are almost non-existent among non-business users.
Bye,
Davide
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Joke said 1:17PM on 5-06-2008
I think both operators will offer contract and pre-paid offers for the iPhone. Italy is a very rich market for mobile industry, a recent report said that in Italy there are more active sim cards (around 60millions) than citizens (55millions, babies included)
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Blaktornado said 1:34PM on 5-06-2008
Please, Apple, let it be this way in other countries :(
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applefan said 2:27PM on 5-06-2008
This could be a preview to iPhone being available on all networks everywhere with no exclusitivity.
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lucac81 said 4:21PM on 5-06-2008
Actually I'm using an iphone with vodafone, what I hope it's a good data profile from the carriers, data plan are very expensive here, for my profile I should (because they gave me it free to remain with them :-) ) pay 20 € for 512 mb/month.
It's also true that here prepaid it's the preferred option, and most of the phones are sold unlocked
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frogbat said 6:05PM on 5-06-2008
one thing that seems to be very consistent with apple is that it seems to be at realising their mistakes and are acting quicker to correct them - the iphone sdk is one example, the apple tv another and now their iphone business model
now if only they would release a tower mac with core duos and make the itunes store eu wide
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Jessica55 said 2:37PM on 5-07-2008
Hey you guys, I live in Val di Pesa, FI and I have my iphone for 3 months now, I ordered it online on International-Orders.com That took 2 days to ship it, 2 days! And it was anyway cheaper than buying it from telecom or tim later on!!!
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Amidee said 2:58PM on 5-07-2008
Hey guys,
I'm from Italy and I have good news for you. Vodafone completely lacks of a EDGE network and it's *really* unlikely that they're going to use TIM's EDGE network just for the iPhone.
So, for the ones who still doubt about a 3G iPhone, this in my opinion is the final sign that there WILL be a 3G in the next iP.
M.
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Stefano J. Attardi said 5:10PM on 5-09-2008
I wouldn't conclude that "Italians love pay-as-you-go plans" based on the statistics. I believe we had prepaid cards pushed on us as a way for the carriers to make more money of off top-up fees (only recently banned).
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