What changes for Italian consumers when two telecommunications giants merge? It is the question that millions of users ask themselves after the announcement of the possible integration between TIM and Iliad, Two deeply different realities but both protagonists of the mobile and fixed market in Italy. On the one hand Tim, the former monopolist with capillary infrastructures and a consolidated clientele; on the other Iliad, the operator who made transparency and low-cost prices his trademark.
Current rates: TIM, Iliad and competitors in comparison
In recent years Iliad has revolutionized the Italian market with torn prices, triggering one “price war” who led Italy to have i Telephone costs among the lowest in Europe. Today users benefit from very convenient offers: for example, Tim offers aggressive mobile promotions such as Tim Power Supreme (200 giga in 5G, unlimited minutes) for € 7.99 per month for those coming from Iliad or Fastweb, and similar offers from € 6.99 for 150 GB.
For its part, Iliad keeps simple rates and “forever”: Giga 120 offers 120 GB for € 7.99, while the recent Flash 210 Includes 210 GB (5G included) for € 9.99 per month. Vodafone (through the low-cost brand Ho.) And Fastweb followed by wheel: I have. Mobile offers € 150 GB for around € 6.99, and Fastweb Mobile Full reaches 200 GB in 5G for € 10.95.
On the fixed, the price differences are less marked: Tim and Vodafone offer optical fiber around € 25-30 monthly, Fastweb around € 25.95, while Iliad has distinguished himself with his Iliadbox for € 25.99 per month.
What happened in other cases of merger: Fastweb and Vodafone and Wind-3
A recent precedent is the Fastweb -Vodafone merger, made official at the end of 2024. In that case the authorities have imposed Conditions to protect competitionbut the users immediately wondered if they would have seen increases.
Actually, Nothing has changed immediately For Fastweb or Vodafone customers: existing contracts and rates have remained unchanged. The companies have announced that The brands will remain separated for at least 5 years And that the new Fastweb+Vodafone entity will focus on innovative convergent services at competitive prices. Furthermore, The integration of networks is seen as an advantage For users: for example, Fastweb Mobile customers, first supported on the Windtre network, will gradually migrate on the Vodafone network, with expected benefits in coverage and speed.
Similar situation is seen in 2016 with the Wind -3 merger: The unified network offered greater 4G/5G coverage, while for prices there were no immediate changes. Indeed, a few years later Iliad arrived as a fourth operator imposed by the Antitrustust, reporting further competition.
Once the clamor is droppedlarge operators tend to gradually regain upward rates via “Remoduction” and inflation adjustments. For example, already in 2025 Fastweb increased the cost of its mobile plans by € 1, and other operators (Windtre, Tim, Vodafone) have announced automatic inflation prices clauses.
What to expect from the TIM -Iliad merger on the prices front
The TIM -Iliad merger would be a historical event in the Italian Telecom sector. Less competition means better margins for companiesand potentially Less advantageous prices for consumers. Analysts estimate that the new giant would have about 41% of the mobile market and 40% of the fixed one, becoming absolute leader. According to a recent analysis by Mediobanca Securities (March 2025), the TIM-Iliad merger would consolidate a dominant position, leaving the other two large players, Vodafone-Fastweb and Windtre, residual shares around 30% and 25% respectively. AGCOM, in the last quarterly observatory (Q4 2024), also highlighted that a possible merger between TIM and Iliad would lead to a concentration of the mobile market among the highest levels of the EU.
In the short term, TIM and Iliad could maintain different approaches Like two brands under the same group, a bit like Fastweb/Vodafone. Iliad has built its reputation on transparency and rates without surprises, so it is likely that the new group maintains (at least initially) that clear offer so as not to alienate its 10+ million mobile customers.
The government and antitrust will also monitor: already today The government asks for guarantees that the aggregation does not penalize users and employees. In the short term, therefore, there should be no immediate jolts on the bills of TIM or Iliad users: any contract changes must be communicated in writing and will give entitled to withdrawal without penalties, as required by law.
The changes that could take place in the long run
Looking at medium-long termhowever, the experts agree that The market could “stabilize” with prices more aligned to the European average. In other words, we may have seen The end of Ultra-Low Cost offers: After years of continuous discounts, operators aspire to more sustainable margins. This does not mean immediate increases for everyone, but less competitive pressure could translate into minor incentives to make aggressive discounts. For users, this scenario is a double -edged sword: on the one hand a stronger operator could invest more in innovation, extension of the 5G coverage and network speeds (even in remote areas, combining TIM’s capillarity with Iliad’s agility); On the other hand, with only three large groups (Tim-Iliad, Vodafone-Fastweb, Windtre) The risk is of tacit agreements on prices or in any case of less convenient offers than those who had accustomed them to.
Also on the fixed the competition could attenuate itself slightly: TIM remains dominant in the infrastructure (even if the primary network has been scored), and Iliad so far was an outsider that kept the fiber prices low. One of their marriage could push up the internet house canons in the long run, unless new actors (for example local operators or the entrance of PosteMobile on a fixed network) do not fill the void left by the “GuastaFeste” Iliad.
Here too, Much will depend on the conditions imposed by the Antitrustust: it is not excluded that, to approve the operation, the authorities require pro-concurrence measures (such as the possible transfer of frequencies or agreements with virtual operators to keep the competition alive). What is hoped is that the new giant does not betray consumers’ trust: Iliad has introduced a new culture of transparency (no hidden costs, remodelings or opaque constraints) that customers hope will be preserved even under TIM’s umbrella.
