Blu (Italian company)
| Company type | Consortium |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Successor | Wind (subscriber base and brand), TIM (network infrastructure) |
| Headquarters | Italy |
Area served | Italy |
| Products | Mobile telephony services, fixed-line telephony license |
| Owner | Società Autostrade (32%), British Telecom (20%), Edizione Holding (9%), Mediaset (9%), Distacom (9%), BNL (7%), Italgas (7%), Caltagirone (7%) |
Blu S.p.A. was an Italian company specializing in mobile telephony within the telecommunications company industry, active from 1999 until 2002.
History
Established in 1999, Blu emerged from a consortium that included Società Autostrade holding 32%, British Telecom with 20%, the Benetton group through Edizione Holding at 9%, along with Mediaset (9%), Distacom (9%), BNL (7%), Italgas (7%), and Caltagirone (7%). Its marketing tagline was "Il futuro che non c'era" (translated as "The future that was not there").
The company commenced services on May 15, 2000, operating under license number 61 granted by the Italian Ministry of Communications. Blu utilized the GSM 1800 MHz frequency band, initially deploying its own network infrastructure in Milan while depending on national roaming agreements to provide coverage throughout the rest of Italy.
By September 2000, Blu's subscriber base had reached 430,000 users, exceeding its original goal of 350,000 by the end of that year. Nevertheless, internal conflicts among shareholders, especially involving British Telecom, influenced the company's decision to withdraw from the UMTS license auction in October 2000. Subsequent legal challenges arose but were resolved early in 2001 when a court overturned government penalties imposed on Blu.
In December 2000, Blu introduced GPRS technology and expanded its user count to over one million by March 2001. The firm secured a license for fixed-line telephony services in August of the same year. Growth continued with a customer base reaching 1.6 million and capturing a 13% share of new activations by late 2001; however, shareholder withdrawals began: Edizione Holding exited in September after aligning with Telecom Italia group, followed by Mediaset divesting its shares to British Telecom in December.
Entering a phase of downsizing, Blu's board approved dismantling the company on August 6, 2002. The subscriber portfolio, representing a 4% market share, along with the brand name, was sold to Wind. Its mobile network infrastructure was transferred to TIM, while other assets were allocated among Wind, Vodafone Omnitel, TIM, and H3G.
The process of asset transfer concluded on October 8, 2002.
External links
- Official website