Italy may auction DTT frequencies
December 12, 2011
By Chris Forrester
The Italian government is thinking about how it could restructure its Digital Television frequencies in order to boost public revenue.
DTT frequencies are currently assigned without a fee based on criteria set by Italian telecommunications regulator Agcom and the Industry Ministry. But analysts at investment bank Mediabanca suggest that Italy could generate between €1 billion and €1.5 billion if it were to auction the frequencies.
Industry minister Corrado Passera said the current “beauty contest” could be reviewed “considering the sacrifices that we have asked Italian families to make.” He was speaking after a parliamentary session in Rome.