Infrastructure In Italy

Italy produces most of its power from fossil fuels, although renewable energy sources now make up a significant percentage of the total. Unlike many other European countries, Italy uses no nuclear energy, since a 1990 referendum led to the shuttering of all nuclear stations. Overall, the country is in 15th place worldwide for total electricity production.

Prices for consumers are high by European standards, standing at 5th-highest in the EU as of 2010. Italy is highly import-dependent for electricity generation since the country lacks any major sources of fossil fuels. Gas prices are also high, with 2010 figures putting them almost 50 percent more expensive than UK gas bills.

The Italian communication system is well-developed, but some more modern services are not yet up to North American standards.

Italy boasts a fully-modernized and very reliable telephone system. There are at least 20 million telephone lines in the country, and cities still feature a significant number of public telephones.

There are now more than 95 million cellular lines in the country.

Coverage and quality are generally very good, although there may be great variations in prices among different domestic and international carriers.

Broadcast media include some 5,000 radio stations and 358 television stations.

Two major companies (RAI and Mediaset) dominate the market, although there are many other smaller providers, including satellite networks.

There are over 25 million Internet users in the country, with 54 percent of families reporting access to the net. Despite this, Internet service in Italy is still notoriously slow, with recent assessments putting speeds among the slowest in the entire Eurozone.

ISPs vary in price and quality, but plans are generally expensive compared to comparable services in the US and Northern Europe.