Benvenuto! FOSI Welcomes Italy's Leading Telecom Provider

WASHINGTON, DC - The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) today announced that Telecom Italia Group has joined as a member. Telecom Italia's membership signifies increasing global awareness and support in promoting a safer online environment for families.

Telecom Italia is the largest telecommunications provider in Italy, offering landline and mobile phone and internet services both to consumers and businesses. The Group's success results from a comprehensive telecommunications offering that is transforming communications from traditional to digital, paired with a strong presence in Latin America - in Brazil through TIM Brazil and in Argentina and Paraguay through Telecom Argentina. Telecom Italia also has significant presence in media through its control of Telecom Italia Media. Its subsidiary Olivetti provides a range of services, print systems and computer hardware including security software, tablets and notebooks.

"FOSI is pleased to welcome such a prominent voice in the international telecom industry to join us in our efforts to educate and provide tools for responsible digital citizenship," said Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI. "We are encouraged that more leading international organizations, such as Telecom Italia, are pledging their commitment to creating a safer online world for families across the globe."

"Telecom Italia is strongly committed to providing high-quality digital services while maintaining excellent standards of online safety," said Carlo Fornaro, Head of External Relations for Telecom Italia. "One of our goals is to address digital education for young children through programs such as Navigare Sicuri, a project meant to help raise awareness of the dangers present on the Internet amongst school children, teachers and parents, helping them use the Internet in a safe and conscious way. We believe that collaboration with leading online safety organizations such as FOSI is imperative to creating a culture of digital safety."

About FOSI

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) works to make the online world safer for kids and their families by identifying and promoting best practices, tools and methods that also respect free speech. FOSI is a trusted, international convener, bringing together leaders in government, industry and the nonprofit sectors to collaborate and innovate new solutions in child safety in a Web 2.0 world. FOSI's members include: AOL, AT&T, BAE Systems Detica, BT Retail, Comcast, Disney, Entertainment Software Association, Facebook, France Telecom, Google, GSM Association, Microsoft, Motion Picture Association of America, NCTA, Nominum, Optenet, RuleSpace, Sprint, Symantec, Time Warner Cable, Telefónica, TELMEX, USTelecom, The Wireless Foundation, Verizon and Yahoo!.

About Telecom Italia Group

Telecom Italia offers infrastructures and technological platforms that allow voice and data to be transformed into advanced telecommunications services, as well as leading-edge media and ICT solutions. These tools cater for the Group's as well as the country's growth. Telecom Italia, TIM, Virgilio, La7 and MTV Italia, Olivetti are the Group's main brands; they are well-known by consumers and are a guarantee of reliability and competence. In addition to its domestic leading position, the Group has a significant presence in Latin America, with operations in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.