(Telecompaper) Telecom Italia confirmed it has held preliminary talks with Hutchison Whampoa over a possible merger with 3 Italia. Telecom Italia said the talks were still at an early stage and it could not comment further. The topic will be discussed by the company's board of directors at a meeting scheduled 11 April, it said. The statement follows a request from the securities regulator Consob to clarify earlier media reports that Telecom and Hutchison were considering merging their mobile activities in Italy. Telecom Italia's TIM is already the biggest mobile operator in Italy with almost 35 percent of subscribers at the end of 2012, while 3 Italia had just over 10 percent of the market.