TIM willing to invest in Malta

by Franco Aloisio

The Italian giant telecommunications company Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) is interested in investing in the Maltese telecoms market when this is liberalised, business sources have told The Malta Business Weekly.

TIM is one of Italy's leading mobile telephony companies together with Omnitel and Wind. Over the last few months, several officials of the company visited Malta and met top government officials and representatives of local telecommunications companies. During these visits representatives of TIM expressed their interest in investing in Malta when the local telecoms market is fully liberalised.

The TIM officials came over to Malta when the offices of the Swedish telecoms firm LM Ericsson were opened. LM Ericsson is interested in becoming a strategic partner of Maltacom. Other companies being mentioned as a strategic partner for Maltacom are AT&T, Bell and Cable and Wireless.

Sources said that these companies, including TIM, are willing to invest in Malta as a stepping stone to North Africa which is seen as a fast expanding market for fixed and mobile telephony. TIM is a subsidiary of Telecom Italia. However TIM is responsible for three quarters of Telecom Italia's business and is one of the fastest growing mobile telephone companies in Europe. Italy is considered as the fourth largest market for mobile telephones in Europe.