Italy and Asterion have submitted a fully financed bid for Telecom Italia's Sparkle unit, according to reports. The board of Telecom Italia has approved the offer from the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Mef) and Retelit for Sparkle. Meanwhile, the chief executive officer of Telecom Italia noted that the company's only potential merger and acquisition options in the domestic market are with French carrier Iliad and Italian postal operator Poste Italiane. Additionally, Telecom Italia has engaged UniCredit to assist in evaluating its options as multiple suitors express interest in the former Italian phone monopoly.