Finance
Telecom Italia and Fastweb to Jointly Build 6,000 Telecoms Towers in Italy
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 19, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 19, 2026
Quick Summary
Telecom Italia (TIM) and Fastweb (Swisscom) have struck a non‑binding agreement to form a joint venture to build up to 6,000 telecom towers across Italy, with scope to include third‑party investors later—building on an earlier 5G infrastructure‑sharing deal.
Telecom Italia, Fastweb to build up to 6,000 telecom towers in Italy
Joint Venture and Impact on Italian Telecom Market
Overview of the Agreement
MILAN, March 19 (Reuters) - Telecom Italia (TIM) and Fastweb, the Italian arm of Swisscom, will build up to 6,000 telecom towers in Italy, the two companies said on Thursday, in a potential blow for the country's top mast operator INWIT.
Details of the Joint Venture
The project, set up as a joint venture, will also allow third‑party investors to join at a later stage, the companies said in a statement.
Background and Industry Context
Non-binding Deal and 5G Rollout
The non-binding deal between TIM and Fastweb, which became Italy's leading mobile player after the 8 billion euro ($9.17 billion) buyout of Vodafone operations in the country, comes after the two rivals in January agreed to jointly roll out part of their 5G technology to avoid a duplication of investments.
Relationship with INWIT
INWIT's Role and Revenue
Fastweb and TIM are the main customers of Milan-listed INWIT. The long-term contracts under which INWIT hosts on its 25,000 masts across Italy the antennas of the two telecoms operators make up the bulk of the tower company's 1 billion euro revenue.
Contract Renegotiations
Both telecom operators have been trying for months to renegotiate the terms of their costly contracts with INWIT, which is resisting the move, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
INWIT's Response
In a statement to Reuters INWIT said the newly announced agreement was simply an "evolution" of the previous accord between Fastweb and TIM.
Additional Information
($1 = 0.8723 euros)
(Reporting by Elvira Pollina, editing by Gianluca Semeraro and Mrigank Dhaniwala)
Key Takeaways
- •TIM and Fastweb will jointly construct as many as 6,000 telecom towers via a new joint venture, potentially open to outside investors later.
- •This move follows their January preliminary Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing agreement to accelerate 5G rollout and cut costs by €250–300 million each over 10 years.
- •The initiative complements broader industry consolidation in Italy, including KKR’s purchase of TIM’s fixed‑line network and INWIT’s tower infrastructure dominance.
Frequently Asked Questions about Telecom Italia and Fastweb to jointly build 6,000 telecoms towers in Italy
1What is the main purpose of the Telecom Italia and Fastweb joint venture?
The main purpose is to jointly build up to 6,000 telecom towers across Italy and allow third-party investors to join the project.
2Who can join the Telecom Italia and Fastweb joint tower venture?
The joint venture will allow third-party investors to join at a later stage.
3How does this agreement relate to 5G technology in Italy?
TIM and Fastweb's collaboration includes a joint rollout of part of their 5G technology to prevent duplication of investments.
4What recent transaction positioned Fastweb as Italy's leading mobile player?
Fastweb became Italy's leading mobile player after the 8 billion euro buyout of Vodafone operations in the country.
