3G MOBILE AND DIGITAL TV ARE ITALIAN PRESIDENCY PRIORITIES.

• Position: Brief Article

The development of third-generation mobile telephony and digital television are Italy's priorities for its six-month Presidency of the European Union, announced Italian Communications Minister Maurizio Gasparri on June 12 in Rome. Italy wants to draw up a precise state of play of the still limited 3-G services (visiophony, connection to internet) and of the obstacles facing operators in the sector. It is also time for the European Commission to issue guidelines on how an operator can pull out of the 3-G market, added Mr Gasparri at a press conference. Indeed, the Minister wishes to avoid ending up in a crisis situation created by a glut of operators for limited market capacity.

The other pet project is the development of digital terrestrial television, with the kick-off in Italy set for late 2006 or early 2007 under a bill still being debated in...