Italy Telecom MNO - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The Italy Telecom MNO Market size in 2026 is estimated at USD 19.27 billion, growing from 2025 value of USD 18.64 billion with 2031 projections showing USD 22.77 billion, growing at 3.39% CAGR over 2026-2031.

This uptrend stems from rising data consumption, expanding 5G coverage, government-backed fiber rollouts, and the shift toward converged fixed-mobile offerings. Consolidation moves, notably Swisscom’s EUR 8 billion (USD 9.22 billion) purchase of Vodafone Italia and KKR’s EUR 18.8 billion (USD 21.66 billion) acquisition of TIM’s NetCo, are reshaping the competitive landscape, improving capital efficiency, and stabilizing average revenue per user. Data and Internet services command the largest revenue share, while IoT connections and enterprise digitalization propel incremental growth. Operators are trimming energy bills through tower sharing and renewable sourcing, easing pressure from high electricity prices. Overall, a maturing yet reforming environment positions the Italy Telecom MNO market for steady, value-focused expansion.

Italy Telecom MNO Market Trends and Insights

Increasing 5G Subscriber Uptake

5G population coverage already exceeds 90%, placing Italy among the EU front-runners for next-generation access. TIM plans to raise outdoor 5G coverage to 95% by 2026, cutting cost per gigabyte by up to 50% compared with 4G operations. National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) funds worth EUR 2.02 billion (USD 2.33 billion) subsidize backhaul fiber to 21,900 radio sites, closing gaps where commercial returns are weak. Private 5G networks are gaining traction in factories and ports, raising data intensity and service revenues. Wider 5G adoption will therefore keep the Italy Telecom MNO market on a higher growth slope.

Convergent Bundles Sustaining ARPU

Bundling fixed broadband, mobile service, and content is lifting customer stickiness and supporting average revenue levels, particularly in affluent northern provinces. The Fastweb-Vodafone tie-up promises nationwide, converged propositions that reduce churn and spur cross-sell uptake. Operators leverage fiber footprints to upsell premium mobile data plans, limiting tariff erosion. Early success stories in Milan show a 10 percentage-point uplift in multi-play take-up when fiber and 5G are jointly promoted. Such dynamics keep the Italy Telecom MNO market on a value rather than volume footing.

Intense MNO Price Wars Compressing Margins

Fierce tariff battles since Iliad’s 2018 arrival sliced mobile ARPU and pushed churn upward. Although consolidation is reducing head-to-head discounts, entry-level offers remain aggressive, especially in prepaid segments. Operators respond with upsell tactics such as content bundles and speed tiers. Near-term profitability pressure, therefore, reduces the Italy Telecom MNO market CAGR by almost one percentage point until price equilibrium is reached.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Govt. Italia a 1 Gbps FTTH Funding
• Rising Enterprise IoT Connectivity Demand
• High Network Energy Costs vs. Green Targets

Segment Analysis

Data and Internet services represented the largest revenue slice, capturing 42.65% of Italy Telecom MNO market share in 2025. IoT and M2M solutions, while still small in absolute terms, deliver the highest 3.46% CAGR, underpinned by industrial automation and smart-city projects. The Italy Telecom MNO market size for data-centric services will expand steadily as streaming, cloud gaming, and remote work heighten gigabyte consumption. Declining voice and SMS uptake continues to free network capacity for richer data packages, while OTT messaging tightens pressure on legacy revenues. Operators monetize traffic growth through speed-tiered 5G plans and content tie-ups with Netflix, Amazon, and DAZN, strengthening average spending levels. Fixed-mobile convergence further cements data dominance by marrying fiber backhaul with 5G spectrum, ensuring robust user experience across devices.

Messaging and traditional voice revenues keep sliding because WhatsApp, Telegram, and similar applications meet most consumer needs at negligible incremental cost. Nonetheless, operators are leveraging rich communication services (RCS) and 5G standalone capabilities to introduce low-latency enterprise voice over New Radio (VoNR) and mission-critical push-to-talk. The Italy Telecom MNO market size, aligned with IoT gains, is expected to experience momentum in sectors such as logistics, smart agriculture, and utilities, where wide-area NB-IoT coverage provides economical and battery-efficient connectivity. Overall, service diversification based on data ecosystems will outweigh the contraction of legacy revenue lines and secure a balanced growth mix.

The Italy Telecom MNO Market is Segmented by Service Type (Voice Services, Data and Internet Services, Messaging Services, Iot and M2M Services, OTT and PayTV Services, and Other Services), and End User (Enterprises, Consumer). The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD) and Volume (Subscribers).

List of companies covered in this report:

• Telecom Italia (TIM)
• WindTre
• Iliad Italia
• Fastweb + Vodafone

Additional benefits of purchasing this report:

• Access to the market estimate sheet (Excel format)
• 3 months of analyst support