"I wonder if it is appropriate for the State to compete with the private operator in areas where everything is easy and disregard difficult areas, or if instead it is not better to combine the resources of Telecom and the Cdp to guarantee everyone an essential infrastructure" like broadband. In the aftermath of decision of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (Cdp) to invest in Metroweb, president of Telecom Italia, Franco Bernabè relaunches with a long interview with Massimo Mucchetti on Corriere della Sera.
“A major agreement (between Telecom and the CDP) would tell the country that its establishment has learned the lesson of history and would tell the markets and global competitors that the era of the Guelphs and Ghibellines is over here”. Bernabè points out "that competition in telecommunications infrastructure is good for you but that an agreement would be more effective and would involve less capital". After recalling that, as at the end of the 90s with the absurd takeover bid by Colaninno and Gnutti which ended up offloading part of the costs of the operation to Telecom itself, causing the debt to explode, today as then Telecom has become a “ greedy target". The number one of the largest Italian telephone group points out that "in 2007 Carlos Slim's America Movil would have gladly paid (Telecom) much more" than today.
Then the president of Telecom he replies to those who accuse his group of slowing down the development of broadband due to the load of debts it has to bear: “The truth is that the competitors would like us to build the new infrastructure at our expense and then rent it to them at a low price. Where have the projects to wire Rome of the three foreign operators gone?”
In short, "if there must be competition, let it be on equal terms". Now the word is up to the Government and the new Agcom where the new presidency of Angelo Cardani, a Bocconian and always the right arm of Prime Minister Mario Monti, is loomingwhich has the last word.
