Telecom Italia Takes First Step in Conte’s Single-Network Plan

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Telecom Italia headquarters in Rossano, Italy.

Photographer: Federico Bernini/Bloomberg
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After months of wrangling with the government, Telecom Italia SpA on Monday kicked off a state-backed plan to create a single Italian broadband network through the separation of its landline grid, the former monopolist’s most valuable asset.

Italy is racing to bridge the digital divide with European peers, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has made telecommunications infrastructure one of the priorities of his push for a broader role of the state in the economy.