SEAT PAGINE GIALLE/CECCHI GORI COMMUNICATIONS
PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
THE COMPETITION AUTHORITY IS PROCEEDING AGAINST TELECOM ITALIA AND SEAT PAGINE GIALLE FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS STIPULATED FOR THE ACQUISITION OF TMC
At its meeting on 31 October 2001 the Competition Authority resolved to take action against the Telecom Italia and Seat Pagine Gialle companies for noncompliance with the conditions set to clear the acquisition of the TMC and TMC2 (now La Sette) broadcasting networks from the Cecchi Gori Communications group in its measure issued on 23 January 2001.
In that measure the Competition Authority had indicated that to prevent Telecom from strengthening its dominant position over the interactive and multimedia services market it was obliged to grant all potential competitors access to all the civil infrastructure which it was entitled to use. This obligation became effective on 10 July 2001 and was intended to enable interested operators to lay fibre-optic cables for the delivery supply of interactive and multimedia services.
A number of companies working in that market subsequently complained that they had met with obstructionism, and in some instances they reported that Telecom had refused to give them access to the infrastructure at its disposal. Following these complaints the Competition Authority deemed that this conduct on the part of Telecom might constitute failure to comply with the provisions of its resolution of 23 January 2001 authorising the acquisition operation.
The proceeding for non-compliance will be completed within 90 days.
Rome, 6 November 2001