Vodafone Italy
Encyclopedia
Vodafone Italia is an Italian
mobile telephony
operator. The company has 31,000,000 customers and a market share of 33.4%, placing it just behind TIM
. Vodafone Italia is an owned subsidiary of Vodafone Group plc
(76.86%) & Verizon (23.14%).
an operators, Vodafone Italia uses GSM, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA technologies for its network. Vodafone Italia began to deploy EDGE on its network during summer 2011.
As of December 30th, 2008, this was Vodafone Italia's coverage:
) was a fixed-line operator. They belonged to Olivetti
and represented the first telephone alternative to monopolists TIM
and Telecom Italia
.
Original majority owner Olivetti
sold its interest in Omnitel and Infostrada to the German consortium Mannesmann
(which had been a minority shareholder since 1997) after Olivetti took control of Telecom Italia
, and thus TIM, in 1999. Mannesmann took control of Omnitel with a 53.7% equity stake.
The following year, Vodafone
purchased Mannesmann, thus taking control of Omnitel. The Vodafone brand
was introduced as Omnitel-Vodafone in 2001, made the primary brand as Vodafone-Omnitel in 2002; finally the current name Vodafone Italia was introduced in 2003, dropping "Omnitel" altogether. Vodafone Italy introduced the new Speechmark Logo only on 10 June 2007.
The company slogan varies from that of the international Vodafone campaign (Make the most of now) and is Life is NOW. The company website was known as 190.it as 190 is the customer care number for Vodafone Italy. Starting from July 2008, the company URL has been changed from "190.it" to "vodafone.it". The company's spokesmodel from 1999 to 2006, for both Omnitel and Vodafone, was Australian model Megan Gale
.
Since taking over the company, Vodafone has introduced its suite of services in Italy, such as Vodafone live!
and UTMS/HSPDA services, and has collaborated in partnership to launch of Mobile virtual network operator
s for other corporations.
In 2007, like in Spain
, Vodafone Italy has bought the Italian branch of Tele2
, renaming later as TeleTu in 2010, adding fixed-line network offers.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
mobile telephony
Mobile telephony
Mobile telephony is the provision of telephone services to phones which may move around freely rather than stay fixed in one location. Mobile phones connect to a terrestrial cellular network of base stations , whereas satellite phones connect to orbiting satellites...
operator. The company has 31,000,000 customers and a market share of 33.4%, placing it just behind TIM
Telecom Italia Mobile
TIM is Telecom Italia's mobile phone brand, and runs a GSM, EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA network in Italy and Brazil.In Europe, TIM is part of the FreeMove alliance.TIM Peru was sold to América Móvil and rebranded Claro...
. Vodafone Italia is an owned subsidiary of Vodafone Group plc
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
(76.86%) & Verizon (23.14%).
Network and coverage
Like other EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an operators, Vodafone Italia uses GSM, UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA technologies for its network. Vodafone Italia began to deploy EDGE on its network during summer 2011.
As of December 30th, 2008, this was Vodafone Italia's coverage:
- GSM/GPRS: 99.7% of the population, 98% of the territory
- UMTS/HSDPA: > 85% of the population
History
In December 1995, Omnitel Pronto-Italia launched its services in Italy. Omnitel was a mobile operator and Infostrada (today owned by WindWIND (Italy)
Wind Telecomunicazioni SpA is an Italian telecom operator which offers integrated mobile, fixed and IPTV and Internet services and has also a sister network in Greece: WIND Hellas...
) was a fixed-line operator. They belonged to Olivetti
Olivetti
Olivetti S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of computers, printers and other business machines.- Founding :The company was founded as a typewriter manufacturer in 1908 in Ivrea, near Turin, by Camillo Olivetti. The firm was mainly developed by his son Adriano Olivetti...
and represented the first telephone alternative to monopolists TIM
Telecom Italia Mobile
TIM is Telecom Italia's mobile phone brand, and runs a GSM, EDGE, UMTS and HSDPA network in Italy and Brazil.In Europe, TIM is part of the FreeMove alliance.TIM Peru was sold to América Móvil and rebranded Claro...
and Telecom Italia
Telecom Italia
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...
.
Original majority owner Olivetti
Olivetti
Olivetti S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of computers, printers and other business machines.- Founding :The company was founded as a typewriter manufacturer in 1908 in Ivrea, near Turin, by Camillo Olivetti. The firm was mainly developed by his son Adriano Olivetti...
sold its interest in Omnitel and Infostrada to the German consortium Mannesmann
Mannesmann
Mannesmann AG was a German corporation with headquarters in Düsseldorf. The company was founded in 1890 originally to produce seamless steel tubes. It was traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company had 130,860 employees worldwide and revenues of €23.27 billion.Over time, Mannesmann...
(which had been a minority shareholder since 1997) after Olivetti took control of Telecom Italia
Telecom Italia
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...
, and thus TIM, in 1999. Mannesmann took control of Omnitel with a 53.7% equity stake.
The following year, Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
purchased Mannesmann, thus taking control of Omnitel. The Vodafone brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
was introduced as Omnitel-Vodafone in 2001, made the primary brand as Vodafone-Omnitel in 2002; finally the current name Vodafone Italia was introduced in 2003, dropping "Omnitel" altogether. Vodafone Italy introduced the new Speechmark Logo only on 10 June 2007.
The company slogan varies from that of the international Vodafone campaign (Make the most of now) and is Life is NOW. The company website was known as 190.it as 190 is the customer care number for Vodafone Italy. Starting from July 2008, the company URL has been changed from "190.it" to "vodafone.it". The company's spokesmodel from 1999 to 2006, for both Omnitel and Vodafone, was Australian model Megan Gale
Megan Gale
Megan Kate Gale is an Australian model and actress.- Career :Born in Perth, Western Australia, Megan Gale's father is English and mother is part Maori and is the youngest of three children with two older brothers.-Modeling:...
.
Since taking over the company, Vodafone has introduced its suite of services in Italy, such as Vodafone live!
Vodafone live!
Vodafone live! was the brand name for the multimedia portal service of mobile phone operator Vodafone, which was initially developed by Japan's J-Phone under the J-Sky brand...
and UTMS/HSPDA services, and has collaborated in partnership to launch of Mobile virtual network operator
Mobile virtual network operator
A mobile virtual network operator is a company that provides mobile phone services but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service...
s for other corporations.
In 2007, like in Spain
Vodafone Spain
Vodafone España, S.A.U. is a mobile telecommunications operator in Spain headquartered in Alcobendas, Madrid. The company was founded in 2000, as a result of the merger of the shares held by Vodafone Group plc and British Telecommunications plc in Airtel Móviles, S.A....
, Vodafone Italy has bought the Italian branch of Tele2
Tele2
Tele2 AB is a major European telecommunications operator, with about 34 million customers in 11 countries. It serves as a fixed-line telephone operator, cable television provider, mobile phone operator and Internet service provider.- Overview :...
, renaming later as TeleTu in 2010, adding fixed-line network offers.