ET.n.a regulations – an alert to our Italian Customers

What is E.T.Na?
E.T.Na, sometimes written ETNa, is a telephone directory access system designed to help the police and judicial authorities investigate crimes and counteract terrorism. The Department of Public Security in Italy is creating a system by which certain data held by telecommunications providers can be quickly accessed, eliminating the need for police to send legal orders to providers and then wait for responses.

Why are you asking me for this information?
This new regulation requires user details for all Italian telephone numbers. If we don’t provide these details your number assignments could be revoked.

What will happen if we don’t provide details for our Italian number?
The new regulation requires that every Italian telephone number assigned to a user be included in the E.T.Na system. If you don’t provide the relevant details for any number, they will be blocked until we receive them.

Does the user need to have an Italian address?
In some locations, end users are required to submit their address before telephone numbers can be activated. The details we require are an extension of this. For geographic numbers associated with specific regions, an end user address in Italy is required.

Who is the signatory?
The signatory is the person that signed the contract or ordered the service on behalf of a business end user

Why do you require a VAT number?
Any company doing business in the European Union needs to obtain a VAT registration number. A VAT number helps identify a company that’s operating under a trade name or whose name is similar to another company. If a business end user has been issued a VAT number, it must be provided. If a business end user hasn’t been issued a VAT number, it’s not mandatory, but a local company registration is required.

What is a Codice Fiscale?
A Codice Fiscale is a tax code card and is issued by the Italian government to everyone residing in Italy. It has an alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies each person. It’s similar to a National Insurance number in the UK or a social security number in the USA.

If you speak Italian and would like to learn more, please see this resource.