Italy's telecommunications lobby has called on the European Union to consider ways to help with rising electricity costs and to protect networks from any planned power cuts, according to a document seen by Reuters.

In a letter sent to EU industry chief Thierry Breton, Assotelecomunicazioni asked that telecom players be treated as energy-intensive industries, which would make it easier to access measures to reduce their energy bills after tripling over the past year.

Telecommunications companies continue to experience rising energy costs while they must ensure the continuity of their services, the letter said.

As the risk of power shortages grows, telecom operators are preparing for possible power outages that could take out parts of their networks.

A clear indication that a telecommunications network outage is not possible would give much-needed certainty to telecommunications players and the entire economic system regarding continuity of service, said Assotelecomunicazioni head Massimo Sarmi.