Poste Italiane to become MVNO (mobile virtual network operator)

The Italian Post Office (Poste Italiane) announced today its plan to become a mobile virtual network operator.

Thanks to its network of more than 14.000 shops, the post office can easily reach every Italian citizen at ‘walking distance’ to sell its services. Being the market leader in payment service, it also plans to offer a whole range of mobile-based payment services.

Poste Italiane’s managing director Massimo Sarmi said negotiations with MNOs are still going on and he gave no precise timeframe about the initial availability of the service.

Sarmi also said the company hopes to reach 2 m mobile customers by 2011.