Eurobites: Italy's Enel in $2.8B FTTH Plan

Telecom Italia (TIM) has also officially begun the search for a new CEO following the departure of Marco Patuano, who was unhappy with the growing influence of Vivendi-appointed directors in the company's boardroom. (See Patuano to Quit as Telecom Italia CEO.)

Vodafone UK consumer director Cindy Rose is reported to have left her role before a pay-TV service she was hired to develop has even been launched. According to a report from the UK's Telegraph newspaper, her responsibilities will transfer to Glafkos Persianis, the CEO of Vodafone Greece , who will next month take up a London-based role as commercial director, with Vodafone Group plc (NYSE: VOD) keen to reduce costs.

Two employees of Belgium's Proximus received minor injuries in yesterday's terrorist attack on Brussels that claimed the lives of at least 34 people and left scores wounded. In the light of the incident and the ongoing security concerns, the operator has told all its employees in the Brussels area to work from home or remotely today, to postpone any foreign trips and to avoid any large gatherings of people. Light Reading offers its condolences to anyone affected by yesterday's outrage.

Smart Dubai, the government department charged with smoothing Dubai's journey to smart city status, has teamed up with Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Co. (du) to create the Smart Dubai Platform, which it describes as a "central operating system" for the city, providing access to city services and data for all individuals and organizations. "Our vision has consistently been to transform Dubai into the happiest city on Earth," says a government spokesperson. A passing migrant construction worker no doubt flashed him a filthy look.

A row is brewing in Turkey over rival operators wanting cheaper access to Türk Telekomunikasyon A.S. 's fiber network, according to Reuters. Turkey, which has a youthful population of around 78 million, is preparing for the launch of 4G, and several operators are wanting to offer converged -- i.e. mobile and fixed-line -- services.

Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) has revealed that it held preliminary takeover talks with Imagination Technologies Group plc , the UK-based chip design company, Bloomberg reports. "We had some discussions with Imagination, but we do not plan to make an offer for the company at this time," Apple said in a statement.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading