Fastweb

Fastweb S.p.A. launched in 1999 as a bold challenge to Italy's state-owned telecom monopoly, founded by the e.Biscom consortium and Milan's municipal utility AEM. The company built its reputation on a single promise: deploying fiber-to-the-home infrastructure where others relied on copper lines. This strategy allowed them to offer high-speed broadband that quickly became a benchmark for performance across the peninsula.

The landscape shifted in May 2007 when Swisscom bought an 82.4% stake for €3 billion, eventually buying out remaining shareholders to delist the firm from the Borsa Italiana by September 2010. In late 2024, Swisscom expanded its reach further by acquiring Vodafone Italy, setting a legal merger date for January 1, 2026. Until then, the two brands operate side by side, with plans to phase out the Vodafone name in Italy by 2029. [edit]