- published: 01 Jul 2011
- views: 50105
Telecom Italia is the largest Italian telecommunications company, also active in the media and manufacturing industries. Now a private concern listed on the Borsa Italiana, it was founded in 1994 by the merger of several state-owned telecommunications companies, the most important of which was Società Italiana per l'Esercizio Telefonico p.A. (known as SIP from the earlier Società Idroelettrica Piemontese), the state monopoly telephone operator in Italy.
The company operates landline telephone services in Italy, GSM mobile phone services in Italy and Brazil through its TIM subsidiary, and DSL internet and telephony services under the brand Alice in Italy and San Marino. It also owns a stake in Telecom Argentina. Telecom Italia also controls one of the main Italian television companies, Telecom Italia Media, and owns Olivetti, the manufacturer of computer peripherals and other hardware.
Telecom Italia was created in 1994 by the merger of several telecommunications companies among which Sip, Iritel, Italcable, Telespazio and Sirm.