Telecom Italia is reportedly considering selling-off as many as 5,000 of its mobile transmission towers as part of a strategy to reduce its debt burden. According to Dow Jones Newswires, which cites people familiar with the situation, the towers sale could generate as much as €2 billion for the firm. The company is also considering spinning-off its fixed-line network, though this is reportedly opposed by Telecom Italia’s key foreign shareholder – Spain’s Telefonica – which views the network as a key strategic asset. The two options, which are set to be discussed at a Telecom Italia board meeting on September 25, are aimed at reducing the operator’s estimated €37 billion debt load and freeing up funds to build a Next Generation Network (NGN) in Italy. According to AGCOM, the Italian regulator, an Italian NGN will cost between €8 billion and €15 billion to build.

In other news, Telecom Italia has denied reports in the Indian business press that it has paid US$2 billion for a 49 percent stake in India’s Unitech Wireless, a new operator with mobile licenses covering all 22 of India’s circles. According to Cellular News, a Telecom Italia spokesman described the story as “baseless.” Norway’s Telenor has also recently been linked with an investment in Unitech, which is owned by India’s second-largest real estate firm.