Tim looks to the future and opens up to new industrial partnerships after the agreement signed with Nokia. “Certainly yes, we are studying and working,” he declared. Peter Labriola, CEO of Tim and president of Asstel on the sidelines of an event of the association, answering to those who asked him if they were in further agreements are comingThe manager added that Tim has already “begun to sign contracts to build the next-generation 5G networks”, signaling the company's commitment to the country's digital infrastructure development. At the same time, the group awaits "some signals in terms of free renewal of frequencies“, defined as crucial to support investments in networks.
Telco in trouble, Labriola: lost 5 billion in the last three years
During his speech at the Asstel conference, Labriola painted a clear picture of the telco sector: “This is a sector that does not generate profits, has lost 5 billion in the last three years".
For the CEO, "there is a need for some interventions” and to “overturn some symmetries”, highlighting that telco operators “are among the main energy spenders and are not considered energy-hungry” and that “regulations are applied to us that are not applied to others”.
Recalling the investments Supported in 2018, Labriola stated with a clear metaphor: "Between the chicken and the egg, we chose the egg, paying a lot of money up front for the frequencies, but we never got the chicken." Hence the request to "reverse the paradigm" and promote investments in the country through "an inexpensive renewal of frequencies to build the network on which to develop all digital services."
Labor and the market: balance is needed. With Poste Italiane, "everything is fine."
On the front occupationalLabriola clarified: "No one wants to cut jobs, but we need some changes, otherwise something will happen." He highlighted the challenges of the Italian market, with "the lowest prices and the most expensive energy," compared to other countries where "hyperscalers and OTTs are laying off 50 people" and "Verizon is cutting 17 with an annual profit of €18 billion."
On the relations front with Poste Italiane, the relative majority shareholder, Labriola wanted to reassure: “With Poste everything is fine, we are all happy”.
