Telecom Italia (TIM), Retelit, Nextalia, and Asterion are reportedly interested in taking over BT's remaining assets in Italy.

Reuters reports that TIM has submitted a non-binding bid for the remainder of BT Italia, following several years of divestment by the English telco.

The publication said the remaining BT Italia business comprises four data centers and a backbone fiber network.

TIM is reportedly seeking a payout of around €100 million ($110m) from BT in order to take on the assets.

Local fiber firm Retelit and Italian private equity firm Nextalia are said to be interested in the assets, while Bloomberg has previously reported private equity firm Asterion Industrial Partners is a potential bidder.

Binding offers are reportedly anticipated by the end of this month.

BT's Italian unit was involved in a major accounting scandal in 2017. Several execs were charged with manipulating accounts, which led to the company taking a £530 million ($690m) charge, and eight were convicted earlier this year.

Both TIM and Retelit have made deals to acquire parts of BT Italia in recent years.

TIM took control of  BT’s Italian public administration unit, which served local and national governments, and its SME operations, back in 2020.

Earlier this year BT Italia sold its BT Enìa subsidiary to Retelit. Founded in 1999, Enìa was a local ICT operator providing telecommunications services and IT solutions to businesses and the public administration in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Piacenza. The deal included a fiber network and a data center in Parma.

TIM itself is amid a reorganization. In June, TIM completed the long-awaited sale of its fixed line network, NetCo, to US investment firm KKR, in a deal that could be worth as much as €22bn ($24bn) with earn-out payments.

The company recently divested its stake in local mobile operator Inwit, and is reportedly looking to sell its Sparkle subsea unit.