Telecom Italia picks KKR as exclusive partner for Italian broadband

Sources have said KKR has also expressed an interest in buying a minority stake in TIM's last-mile network

Italy’s government wants the former phone monopoly and smaller fibre-optic operator Open Fiber to create a single ultra-fast broadband player to avoid duplicating investments.

A deal has proved tough to hammer out, prompting Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri on Wednesday to urge the parties to come to an agreement quickly to speed up progress on a strategic infrastructure. TIM said in a statement Gualtieri’s comments were “significant” and that the project with Open Fiber would help overcome the digital divide still existing in many part of the country.

Chief Executive Luigi Gubitosi will continue discussions on the plan and inform Italian institutions in