Editing TIM Group (section)

===1994–2005: Telecom Italia, Telecom Italia Mobile and DSL services===

The first appearance in the [[Italy|Italian]] [[mobile telephony]] market dates back to 1990 with the launch of the [[TACS]] [[Cellular network|network]] by the Telecom Italia Mobile Radio Services [[Division (business)|division]].

Telecom Italia was officially created on 27 July 1994 by the merge of several telecommunications companies among which SIP, [[IRITEL]], [[Italcable]], [[Telespazio]] and [[SIRM]] (companies owned by [[STET – Società Finanziaria Telefonica|STET]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archivio.corriere.it/1994/marzo/18/nasce_Telecom_Italia_co_0_94031816349.shtml |title=nasce Telecom Italia |website=Corriere.it |language=it |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120803190924/http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/1994/marzo/18/nasce_Telecom_Italia_co_0_94031816349.shtml |archive-date=2012-08-03}}</ref> This was due to a reorganization plan for the [[Telecommunications industry|telecommunications sector]] presented by [[Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale|IRI]] to the Minister of Finance.

In 1995, the [[mobile telephony]] division was spun off as ''Telecom Italia Mobile'' (TIM),<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date= |title=1980s – 1990s {{!}} Telecom Italia Group |url=https://www.telecomitalia.com/tit/en/about-us/history/80s-90s.html |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=2017-07-04 |website=www.telecomitalia.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=History of Telecom Italia Mobile S.p.A. – FundingUniverse |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/telecom-italia-mobile-s-p-a-history/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617082010/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/telecom-italia-mobile-s-p-a-history/ |archive-date=2024-06-17 |access-date=2014-08-13 |website=www.fundinguniverse.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Cantoni |first1=V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YpQdfylmkWgC&dq=28+giugno+1995+Telecom+Italia+mobile&pg=PA738 |title=Storia delle telecomunicazioni |last2=Falciasecca |first2=Gabriele |last3=Pelosi |first3=Giuseppe |date=2011 |publisher=Firenze University Press |isbn=978-88-6453-243-1 |language=it |access-date=2023-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617082014/https://books.google.com/books?id=YpQdfylmkWgC&dq=28+giugno+1995+Telecom+Italia+mobile&pg=PA738#v=onepage&q=28%20giugno%201995%20Telecom%20Italia%20mobile&f=false |archive-date=2024-06-17 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Saporiti |first=Marco |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7UMKBgAAQBAJ&dq=28+giugno+1995+Telecom+Italia+mobile&pg=PA59 |title=Storia della Telefonia in Italia |date=2013 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-88-97914-72-3 |language=it |access-date=2023-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617082016/https://books.google.com/books?id=7UMKBgAAQBAJ&dq=28+giugno+1995+Telecom+Italia+mobile&pg=PA59#v=onepage&q=28%20giugno%201995%20Telecom%20Italia%20mobile&f=false |archive-date=2024-06-17 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Gazzetta Ufficiale |url=http://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/1995/07/17/S-17799/p2;jsessionid=Xou42sxip5n97MUGvaaXxQ__.ntc-as1-guri2a |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617082050/https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/1995/07/17/S-17799/p2;jsessionid=Xou42sxip5n97MUGvaaXxQ__.ntc-as1-guri2a |archive-date=2024-06-17 |access-date=2015-09-24 |website=www.gazzettaufficiale.it |language=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Strategia marketing Omnitel vs Tim |url=http://www00.unibg.it/dati/corsi/8519/29824-Strategia%20marketing%20TIM%20vs%20Omnitel%20(Vodaphone).pdf |access-date=2015-07-24 |website=www00.unibg.it |language=it-IT}}</ref> while Telecom Italia, under managing director Francesco Chirichigno,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Glover |first1=John |title=Italy Invigorated |url=https://archive.org/details/mcni-images/page/30/mode/2up |access-date=16 May 2024 |work=Multichannel News International |publisher=Capital Cities/ABC |date=1 November 1995 |page=30}}</ref> would take care of fixed and [[public telephony]] and [[network infrastructure]]. 
On 7 October, after the experimentation period at the [[CSELT]], TIM launched the first [[Rechargeable calling card|rechargeable]] [[Prepaid mobile phone|prepaid card]] for Italy, the ''TIM Card'',<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=I Corsi di Storia e Cultura dell'Industria - Settori industriali e imprese - Energia e Telecomunicazioni - Sip - Telecom Italia - Storia (pag. 30) |url=http://www.corsi.storiaindustria.it/settoriindustriali/energiatelecom/sip/storia/30.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150923210633/http://www.corsi.storiaindustria.it/settoriindustriali/energiatelecom/sip/storia/30.shtml |archive-date=2015-09-23 |access-date=2015-07-24 |website=www.corsi.storiaindustria.it}}</ref> becoming the first telephone company in the world to introduce this charging system. 
Towards the end of 1996 TIM was the first world [[Mobile Network Operator|operator]] to launch a tariff plan based on a prepaid card on the [[GSM]] network, which in a short time generated rapid growth in mobile telephony. 
Interbusiness, Italy's largest [[internet]] network, was created and in the same period with ''Telecom Italia Net'' (Tin.it) and the first [[Internet Service Provider]]s (ISPs), [[internet access]] became a reality in Italy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archivio.corriere.it/1995/febbraio/22/TELECOM_ITALIA_Interbusiness_con_Internet_co_8_9502221529.shtml|title=Archivio Corriere della Sera|website=archiviostorico.corriere.it}}</ref> 
In 1996, TIM introduced a new [[Rechargeable calling card|prepaid rechargeable phone card]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-q6GrtjFqYkC&pg=PA45|title=The economics of mobile telecommunications page 45 reference #50}}</ref> ([[GSM]]), and one year later launched [[short messaging service]] (SMS) capability. 

In 1997, under the [[chairmanship]] of [[Guido Rossi (jurist)|Guido Rossi]], Telecom Italia was privatised and was transformed into a large multimedia group.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |date= |title=TIM - Sapere.it |url=http://www.sapere.it/enciclopedia/TIM.html |access-date=2015-07-24 |website=www.sapere.it}}</ref>

By 2001, the company was in debt and was acquired by [[Marco Tronchetti Provera]]. The following year, the group released its [[DSL]] Flat service in Italy, [[Alice ADSL]], with a download speed of 32&nbsp;kbit/s and an upload speed of 8&nbsp;kbit/s for €40/month plus a monthly based tax of €14.57, the "Canone Telecom", besides the mandatory monthly bills for home [[telephone number]]s (a home telephone number was required for [[ADSL]] service). [[Telecom Italia Media]], the group's multimedia company, was formed in 2003 from [[SEAT Pagine Gialle]], focussing its business on the [[Television industry|television sector]] with [[La7]] and [[MTV (Italy)|MTV]] [[Television channel|channels]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://telecomitaliamedia.it/et/content/profile|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713155259/http://www.telecomitaliamedia.it/et/content/profile|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-07-13|title=Telecom Italia Media official site}}</ref>

After the reorganization of [[Publishing industry|editorial]] activities, Telecom Italia acquired Tin.it and [[Virgilio.it|Virgilio]] from Telecom Italia Media in 2005 .<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archivio-radiocor.ilsole24ore.com/articolo-433346/telecom-acquista-virgilio-tin-it/|title=News archive on IlSole24ore}}</ref>

The Telecom Italia Group also operates in [[South America]]; in [[Brazil]] as [[TIM Brasil]], and in [[Argentina]] and [[Paraguay]] with [[Telecom Argentina]]. TIM Brasil has its local headquarters in [[Rio de Janeiro]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bnamericas.com/en|title=BNamericas - Develop your Latin America business|website=BNamericas.com}}</ref> Telecom Italia also had a 50% share in the [[Bolivia]]n telecommunications company [[Entel (Bolivia)|Entel]] until its share was nationalised by the [[Bolivian government]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.elcomercio.com/noticiaEC.asp?id_noticia=217331&id_seccion=5 |title=Bolivia acepta arbitraje por nacionalización de una telefónica |publisher=El Comercio |date=August 27, 2008 |language=es |access-date=2010-04-13}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2008-05-01|title=UPDATE 1-Bolivia announces takeover of Telecom Italia unit|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entel-bolivia-idUSN0121819820080501|access-date=2020-09-17}}</ref>

In 2002, TIM was the first [[mobile telecommunications company]] in [[Europe]] to launch [[Multimedia Messaging Service|MMS]] services.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Tim lancia gli Mms: quest'estate le cartoline si spediscono gratuitamente col telefonino |url=http://www.cellularitalia.com/comu/tim210502.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240617082521/https://www.cellularitalia.com/comu/tim210502.php |archive-date=2024-06-17 |access-date=2015-07-24 |website=www.cellularitalia.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=LoSai di TIM |url=http://www.cellularitalia.com/news/tim026losaiditim.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305041129/http://www.cellularitalia.com/news/tim026losaiditim.html |archive-date=2016-03-05 |access-date=2015-07-24 |website=www.cellularitalia.com}}</ref> Between 2002 and 2004, it launched some [[value-added service]]s: SMS and MMS content, [[Internet]] [[Web browsing|browsing]] using [[Wireless Application Protocol|WAP]] technology, games and [[Java application]]s.

In 2003, the world's first [[mobile television]] service was launched, exploiting the video playback capabilities appearing on mobile terminals in that period and, again in 2003, it stipulated an [[international roaming]] agreement, similar to that of [[Vodafone]], with operators world's leading mobile ([[T-Mobile International|T-Mobile]], [[Orange (telecommunications)|Orange]] and [[TeliaSonera]]). This alliance will be called [[FreeMove]].<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Tim: alleanza internazionale sotto il marchio FreeMove |url=http://www.cellularitalia.com/comu/tim290304.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602114606/http://www.cellularitalia.com/comu/tim290304.php |archive-date=2016-06-02 |access-date=2015-07-24 |website=www.cellularitalia.com}}</ref>

In 2004, as part of the ''TIM Turbo'' project, the [[EDGE (telecommunication)|EDGE]] and [[UMTS]] services were created for high-speed data transmission.