Telecom Italia

Telecom Italia is an Italian telecommunications company which provides telephony services, mobile services, and DSL data services. 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 Italiana per l'Esercizio Telefonico), the former state monopoly telephone operator in Italy.

The company's stock is traded in the Borsa Italiana.

History

1925–64: Stipel company and early mandatory phone tax

In 1925, the phone network was reorganised by Benito Mussolini cabinet and Stipel company was established in the same year. The original core of Telecom Italia includes also 4 more different companies: TIMO, Teti, TELVE and SET. Each of them worked in a specific geographical area. It was in 1964 that these companies merged in one single group, under the name of SIP.

1964–94: SIP company

SIP, the former company name, was founded in 1964. It was run by the Italian government, Ministry of Treasury. SIP is the short name for Società Italiana per l'Esercizio Telefonico. It was the unique phone network monopolist in Italy from 1964 to 1996 and Italian people had to pay the "Canone Telecom" (Mandatory Telecom Tax of about €120 per year plus hardware and bills) in order to have a phone at home.