Italy will be one of the first countries in the world to support the iPhone on multiple carriers, an announcement reveals. Local carrier Telecom Italia, also known as TIM, has declared that it will also sell the device alongside Vodafone, which today uncovered its plans to sell the device in 10 countries around the world. Responding to further inquiries, TIM will only elaborate that it has “signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone in Italy within the year.”
Since its debut in June of 2007, the iPhone has only ever been officially carried by one carrier per country, such as AT&T in the United States, or O2 in the UK and Ireland. France’s Orange and Germany’s T-Mobile have offered “unlocked” devices, but the companies are also the only point of distribution within their respective regions.
Educated guesses also predict the 3G iPhone next month.
Let’s all move to Italy!
Oh, wait…
Last Year I thought: Hmmm, maybe I´ll get the iPhone when it debuts the 3G…
Now I’m thinking: Hmmm, I’ll get when they move it to Atom platform…
Man…and by the pace things are going, it will be in my carrier too…(Vodafone)
One of the first things you should learn about business [and politics] is that nothing happens in a vacuum. Individual decisions affect other processes.
I realize that some antifanboyz are working with their brains in a vacuum; but, even though I’m not inclined to own an iPhone – I’m pleased to see that particular smartphone moving to easier access, moving to 3G.
It’s forcing the carrier our family uses to move up to 3G. And there are a couple of folks in the family who certainly will appreciate easier and broader access to faster wireless connections.
I doubt we’ll see anything like this in the U.S. anytime soon.
Italy has what are probably the most sophisticated mobile phone users in the World. If it is a success in Italy, it is a success.