­Italy's Telecom Italia has announced that it will launch its LTE network on the 7th November, with coverage initially available in  Rome, Milan, Turin and Naples. By the end of the year new LTE services will be rolled out to more than 20 cities, and then to the rest of Italy

New USB modems and tablets equipped with LTE technology, bundled with special data packages, will go on sale in the four launch cities from 7 November.

The company said that the commercial rollout of LTE technology-based TIM services is the culmination of a path that Telecom Italia first embarked on in late 2009, when it began developing its new ultra-broadband network.

Telecom Italia invested EUR1.2 billion to acquire 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz frequencies, confirming the company's desire to build increasingly modern networks.

The "ULTRA Internet" package for consumers initially covers websurfing via tablets and PCs via USB modem. A business customer offering will soon be launched.

At a later date, smartphone ultra-broadband packages will be rolled out alongside the USB modem and tablet products.