Tiscali -- That's Italian for Internet  Renato Soru, 42, and his
Sardinian company, Tiscali, have become Italy's most famous
Internet success story. The first to introduce free Net service
in the country a year ago, Soru is expecting sales of $140
million this year, up from $32 million in 1999. Tiscali's
initial public offering in October led to a dramatic share run-
up that quickly gave the two-year-old startup a $14 billion
market capitalization -- bigger than auto maker Fiat.  Seizing
the moment, Soru quickly expanded across Europe, snapping up
more than a half-dozen Internet and telecom companies (see BW,
2/26/01, "An Italian Underdog Develops a Bite"). He recently
spoke in Milan with Rome Bureau Chief Gail Edmondson about the
company's strategy and its upcoming bid for a third-generation
mobile license. Here are edited excerpts from their
conversation:  Q: There's a shakeout under way among Internet
startups. What's Tiscali's strategy for remaining a key player?
A: In the Net economy you incur costs for