3 Italia is aiming to add as many as 500,000 new clients this year with the launch of its phone-delivered television service La3, 3 Italia Chief Executive Vincenzo Novari, quoted by a Dow Jones report, said.
"We are the world's only operator that has a UMTS license, a broadcasting license and its own (3G) network," Novari said. "As far as content goes, we will work with the main broadcasters."
Earlier reports said 3 Italia's parent, Hutchison Whampoa, had made a big bet on 3G mobile networks.
Plans to list 3 Italia earlier this month, however, were postponed because response from potential investors was less than Hutchison had hoped for amid a slump in the price of telecom stocks in Europe, the reports said.
The Dow Jones report said investors were watching closely to see whether or not users would scramble to watch television delivered on cellular phones.
According to the report, Novari said the company planned to launch the service between May and June, in time for the World Cup soccer matches starting in early June.
3 Italia had exclusive rights in Italy to broadcast the matches onto cellular phones, the report said.