17th August 2007
Malta awards 3G licence to 3G Telecommunications Ltd
The Malta Communications Authority (MCA) has granted rights of use of radio frequencies to 3G Telecommunications Ltd for the establishment and operation of a 3G mobile communications network in Malta, Europe's smallest telecommunications market.
The assignment is the outcome of a call for applications issued in 2005 for undertakings interested in obtaining right of use of this spectrum band. 3G Telecommunications, along with Vodafone Malta and Go Mobile, each submitted an application to obtain one of the three available bands, and as demand for spectrum matched supply, there was no need for a competitive process to be held. However, given the vital importance of this assignment, a due diligence process was instituted for each undertaking. This was completed in the case of Vodafone and Go Mobile in August 2005, after which they were assigned spectrum, and now following the satisfactorily conclusion of due diligence with respect to 3G Telecommunications, it too has been granted rights of use.
3G Telecommunications now has 60 months in which to complete its network rollout while achieving complete nationwide coverage.
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17th August 2007
Bharti Airtel plans US$200m investment in Sri Lanka mobile operations
Bharti Airtel Lanka Private Limited, a subsidiary of India's Bharti Airtel Ltd, has announced plans to launch 2G and 3G services in Sri Lanka by the end of its current financial year (ending March 31, 2008). The company also announced plans to invest approximately US$200 million in setting up and expanding its operation in Sri Lanka over the next five years. Since the company is currently setting up its operations, a major portion of the committed investment will be made during the next 12 to 18 months. The mobile services from Bharti Airtel Lanka will be launched under the Airtel brand.
Bharti Airtel was awarded a licence to provide 2G and 3G mobile services in Sri Lanka in January 2007.
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17th August 2007
Sprint Nextel unveils WiMAX product branding and business plans
During its 'Sprint Ahead Technology Summit' Sprint Nextel Corporation detailed the expected capabilities and customer benefits of its planned WiMAX services and also announced its market branding for these services.
Sprint Nextel also provided Technology Summit attendees a first-hand user experience with its Pivot bundled services. Pivot features Sprint wireless services as part of a packaged service offering from joint venture partner cable companies. Additionally, the company showcased a variety of other technologies that are designed to leverage the company's portfolio of spectrum, wireless and wireline assets to allow customers to communicate anytime, anywhere.
"We've executed the technology plan we laid out when we merged two years ago, and, in doing so, we have advanced our vision of becoming the mobility services leader," said Gary Forsee, Sprint Chairman and CEO. "Our unique set of assets allows consumers to live the mobile lifestyle and businesses to increase productivity by making any place a workplace. Sprint is best positioned in the marketplace to offer these capabilities."
Sprint announced that its WiMAX service will be marketed under the XOHM brand (pronounced ZOAM). A soft launch of the WiMAX network is expected by the end of 2007 in the Chicago and Baltimore/Washington markets. XOHM commercial services are expected to be available beginning in the first half of 2008.
Barry West, President of 4G Mobile Broadband and Sprint's Chief Technology Officer, noted that XOHM is expected to mobilise the Internet by driving the convergence of telecommunications, consumer electronics and the computer industries. WiMAX service is being designed to create synergies among disparate industries through an ecosystem of chipsets, devices, networks, services/content and distribution to deliver broadband with speeds up to five times faster than current third-generation wireless devices. West said that ecosystem partners have committed to embed 50 million WiMAX chipsets in devices.
Since announcing its initial plans nearly a year ago, Sprint Nextel has expanded its ecosystem of device, chip and other partners and selected Google to bring WiMAX mobile Internet customers search, interactive communications and social networking tools through a new mobile portal. The company expects to begin offering 4G mobile broadband services up to two years ahead of other national wireless carriers.
Under its planned network sharing agreement with Clearwire Corporation, which was announced last month, Sprint Nextel currently expects the network buildout to reach 100 million people by the end of 2008 with Sprint providing coverage to 70 million and Clearwire to 30 million people. Sprint's coverage is expected to grow to approximately 125 million people by the end of 2010. At that level of buildout, the potential market would include an estimated 48 million US households, nearly five million small office/home office subscribers, and more than 130 million consumer electronics devices.
Pivot service, now available in 20 markets with plans for at least 40 by year-end, allows Sprint and its cable partners to bring the benefits of mobility and convergence to their customers by leveraging both landline and wireless networks. Paul Saleh, Sprint Nextel's CFO, said the company expects meaningful growth in Pivot subscribers over the next 18 months, and that the service is expected to generate new revenue streams through new services, including remote DVR programming and video-on-demand.
In addition to serving nearly all of the Fortune 500 and thousands of smaller businesses, Sprint's wireline assets are supporting the strong growth in Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services through leading cable companies and are a cornerstone of the company's strategy to deliver converged services, Saleh added. In the second quarter, cable VoIP revenues increased 60% annually. The company noted that forecasts call for the overall VoIP market to more than double in the next four years.
Sprint Nextel also announced updated financial targets for its WiMAX business, reflecting final execution of the agreement with Clearwire:
- The company expects to generate between US$2 billion and US$2.5 billion in revenues for the fiscal year 2010 with more than 80% generated from new lines of business.
- The company expects that the WiMAX initiative will be positive for Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization (OIBDA) in 2010.
- Sprint Nextel expects to invest approximately US$2.5 billion in capital for WiMAX through year-end 2008. Beyond 2008, network build is expected to be increasingly success-based. The company currently expects that extending its coverage to approximately 125 million people by year-end 2010 would require an additional capital expenditure of approximately US$2.5 billion.
- The WiMAX initiative is expected to generate positive Free Cash Flow beginning in 2011 as the annual OIBDA contribution is expected to exceed capital expenditures, working capital and other cash requirements.
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17th August 2007
Change of plan for Israel's WiMAX tender
The Ministry of Communications - Israel (MoC) has persuaded the Ministry of Finance to exclude a planned tender of WiMAX frequencies and licences from detailed economic plans for 2008, according to Israeli daily newspaper Globes. The reasons why the WiMAX tender has been dropped from the new 2008 Economic Arrangements bill, unveiled earlier this week, are unclear, especially as the MoC insists that a tender will be carried out next year. Meanwhile, the MoC has not challenged the inclusion in the bill of new rules designed to authorise and regulate mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) in Israel.
The original draft of the bill reportedly scheduled the WiMAX tender for March 2008, but included clauses that effectively barred all but one of the country's existing cellular telephony and 3G mobile telecommunications operators from bidding for WiMAX spectrum. The aim, it seems, was to attempt to keep the valuable WiMAX spectrum from being hoarded by the likes of Cellcom Israel, Pelephone Communications, and Partner Communications and to make it available to new entrants or other major players in Israel's broadband market, such as incumbent fixed-line operator Bezeq, broadband cable operator HOT Cable Media Systems (sometimes referred to as HOT Telecommunication Systems), NetVision (which has recently acquired international carrier Barak ITC), Internet Gold (which has acquired international carrier Golden Lines International), and even minority wireless operator MIRS Communications. MIRS accounts for only 5% of the wireless market at present, meaning that it fits comfortably under the 25% market share ceiling imposed on prospective bidders.
Whether Bezeq would actually be allowed to bid for WiMAX spectrum remains to be seen. It presently accounts for 95% of the fixed-line market, 32% of the international services market, 36% of the data and Internet services market, and owns cellular operator Pelephone, which accounts for around 32% of all wireless subscribers. The MoC has long resisted calls to allow Bezeq and its subsidiaries to build and operate Voice over Broadband (VoB) networks and services, fearing that, by doing so, Bezeq would quickly stifle the competition. Bezeq is currently mounting several legal challenges to this ruling, but seems unlikely to secure a change of heart after more than two years of arguments to date. The MoC has said it will review the VoB issue with regards to Bezeq in two years' time. In the meantime, Bezeq would likely view WiMAX as a desirable and more cost-effective alternative to VoB.
There were just over three million fixed line subscribers in Israel at the end of 2006, compared to nearly 8.4 million cellular telephony subscribers (including around one million 3G customers) and an estimated two million Internet subscribers. At the end of 2006, Bezeq claimed that 72% of Israeli households were connected to the Internet (95% of them had high-speed connections). The company also claimed that ADSL was the dominant platform for broadband Internet access in 2006, accounting for 64% of all high-speed connections.
More information on the Israeli telecommunications market is included in a Market Report on Israel, published by ITI in 2006; this report is currently being updated and will be available at the end of this month. Meanwhile, a more recent version of that report is included in a special report on the telecommunications market in the Middle East, also published by ITI; entitled "Opportunities for Telecommunications Equipment and Services in the Middle East 2007".
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16th August 2007
Taiwan Mobile acquires stake in TTN
Taiwan Mobile has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Taiwan Digital Communications Corp, has acquired a 45.88% stake in Taiwan Telecommunication Network Services Co Ltd (TTN) for NT$690.4 million.
In a statement released by Taiwain Mobile, Taiwan Digital Communications bought 49.88 million shares in TTN at NT$13.843 per share from Hong Kong-based PCCW Ltd and other unnamed shareholders. The exact size of the stake acquired from PCCW, which is TTN's largest shareholder with a 63% stake, was not disclosed. It is understood that Taiwan Mobile is keen to continue buying out the various shareholders of TTN to give it control of over 90% of the company.
TTN is an ISP catering for the corporate market in Taiwan.
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16th August 2007
CommScope and Andrew receive requests for additional information over pending acquisition
CommScope and Andrew Corporation have announced that they have received requests for additional information (second requests) from the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice (DoJ) regarding CommScope's pending acquisition of Andrew. The information requests were issued under the notification requirements of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR Act), as amended.
The second requests extend the waiting period imposed by the HSR Act until 30 days after CommScope and Andrew have substantially complied with the second requests, unless that period is extended voluntarily by the parties or terminated sooner by the DoJ. CommScope and Andrew intend to cooperate fully with the DoJ, and both companies continue to expect to close the transaction before the end of 2007.
The transaction remains subject to completion of other customary closing conditions, including effectiveness of a registration statement on Form S-4, approval by Andrew's stockholders, and other international regulatory approvals.
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15th August 2007
Iraq mobile licence auction finally gets underway
The long-awaited auction of permanent operating licences for mobile telecommunications services in Iraq should open in Amman, Jordan, tomorrow, according to a statement from the Iraqi National Communication and Media Commission. Local reports indicate that five companies will be competing for the three regional licences covering northern, central, and southern Iraq, while a fourth licence has been reserved for use by the state, most likely for incumbent operator Iraqi Telecommunication & Post Company (ITPC).
It now seems certain that most - if not all - of the three existing temporary licensees will prove successful in the auction, following the decisions of regional powerhouses Emirates Telecommunications Corp (Etisalat), Bahrain Telecommunications Company (BATELCO), and Qatar Telecom (Q-Tel) not to bid after all. South Africa's MTN Group Ltd was also expected to have submitted a bid, but now appears to be out of the running. Many of those companies that have now pulled out have done so in order to focus on other licensing and acquisition opportunities elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market.
Iraq's mobile telecommunications market is dominated by three regional cellular operators that have been progressively expanding their networks nationwide. These networks are operated under short-term licences that were due to have expired at the end of 2005, but which were extended until the end of 2006 while the national regulatory authority prepared an auction of up to four permanent licences. The short-term licences have recently been extended to September 2007 due to delays in launching the auction of the permanent licences.
The existing operators are Wataniya Telecom-owned AsiaCell (serving northern Iraq), Orascom Telecom-owned Iraqna (serving central Iraq), and Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC)-owned MTC Atheer (serving southern Iraq). Two other operators are active in northern Iraq, and mainly serve the Kurdistani peoples of that region: Korek Telecom and SanaTel also operate under provisional licences and are expected to bid for the new licences in in order to stay in business. If successful in its bid, Korek Telecom would likely take over SanaTel.
Although MTC Atheer, Iraqna, and AsiaCell have proved hugely successful in meeting basic and advanced service requirements, there is no guarantee that they will win any of the new 15-year licences, as Korek Telecom and potential new entrant Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS are also said to be committed to bidding in the new auction, which will close on Saturday. The winning bidders will take over the existing cellular networks from the previous temporary licensees in those instances where an existing operator proves unsuccessful in the auction.
There were approximately 1.289 million cellular telephony subscribers in Iraq at the end of 2005, a figure that had risen to 8.842 million by the end of 2006, all served by the three main operators, Asia Cell, Iraqna, and MTC Atheer. Verifiable subscriber figures were not obtainable from Korek Telecom and SanaTel; it may be that those companies were serving no more than 400,000 subscribers at the end of 2006.
The cellular operators will meet with increasing competition from a number of regional wireless local loop (WLL) operators, licensed in September 2006, which are deploying fixed wireless access (FWA) network based on CDMA, EV-DO, and WiMAX technologies. National WLL licensees include Kalimat Iraq Corporation, a group led by Munir Sukhtian Group Co Ltd, and incumbent ITPC. Regional WLL licensees are Baghdad Cooperative, Iraqtel, and Iraq Telecom Consortium.
Following the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein-led regime in April 2003, Iraq's interim government authorised several different service providers and operators to provide a wide range of basic voice and data services. This approach has now been abandoned in favour of a more structured and considered approach whereby fixed-line, mobile communications, and data services providers are formally licensed. This has been greatly helped by the establishment of a national regulatory authority, although continued attacks by insurgents against government and coalition forces attempting to bring peace and stability to the country continue to inflict damage on the communications infrastructure and hamper foreign companies' attempts to rebuild the fixed-line network.
Further information on Iraq's telecommunications market is included in a special report published by ITI in March 2007, entitled "Opportunities for Telecommunications Equipment and Services in the Middle East". Additionally, ITI publishes separate profiles on the operators MTC, Orascom Telecom, and Wataniya Telecom as well as Etisalat.
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15th August 2007
Tender for 49.13% stake in Telekom Slovenija expected August 24
A tender for the sale of a 49.13% stake in Telekom Slovenija is expected to be announced by the Slovenian government on August 24, according to reports. The valuation of Telekom is scheduled for completion by mid-September, with the deadline for bids scheduled for October 8. The tender is expected to include three options: to sell the entire stake; to sell part of the company with a three-year suspension; or, a cross-ownership arrangement.
Matjaz Jansa, head of the Electronic Communications Directorate of the Economy Ministry, said he would be surprised if the valuation of Telekom was equal or higher than its market value – currently €3.2 billion (approximately US$4.4 billion) on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.
Between 10 and 15 bidders - including European telecommunications groups and global financial companies - are believed to have already expressed an interest in the tender. According to press reports, the strongest bidders are expected to include Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica SA.
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14th August 2007
PT announces strategic partnership for sub-Saharan Africa
Portugal Telecom SA (PT) has announced the establishment of a strategic partnership with Helios Investors LP, a fund advised by Helios Investment Partners LLP, for the sub-Saharan telecommunications market. Under the terms of the agreement, Helios initially acquired a 22% stake in Africa Holding, the holding company that will aggregate all of PT’s current interests in sub-Saharan Africa.
PT has long identified Africa as a key strategic market, offering attractive growth opportunities and potential for additional value creation. Africa is expected to be one of the fastest growing telecommunications markets in the world over the next three to five years. With a total population of 900 million, Africa reached approximately 200 million mobile subscribers at the end of 2006, equivalent to a penetration of 22%. It is expected that total mobile customers in Africa will grow at more than 10% per annum until 2010, which represents over 100 million net additions in the period. Approximately three quarters of this growth are expected to be concentrated in 10 major markets in Africa, of which six are located south of the Sahara, namely South Africa, Nigeria, Congo, Tanzania, Angola and Kenya.
The common objective of the strategic partnership announced by PT and Helios is to create and further develop a unified, coherent, multi-country telecommunications service provider across sub-Saharan Africa, by combining certain assets and the telecommunications strength of PT with Helios’ African knowledge, contacts and expertise, as well as its financial and telecommunications management know-how. Apart from managing the current portfolio of assets, Africa Holding will also focus on selectively expanding the footprint in the region, with the view of creating additional value for its shareholders.
Helios is an African private equity firm operating in sub-Saharan Africa with over US$450 million of assets under management. Helios was founded in 2004 by Babatunde Soyoye and Temitope Lawani to pursue a full range of investment types, including business formations, growth equity investments, structured investments in listed entities and large-scale leveraged acquisitions in Africa. The company's investors are leading institutions from Africa, Europe and the US, as well as governmental agencies.
Under the terms of the agreement, Helios initially acquired a minority stake of 22% in Africa Holding for a total consideration of US$171 million (€125 million), of which US$11 million will be paid in the form of additional dividends. PT has also subscribed to a financing facility issued by Africa Holding in the amount of US$450 million. As a result, the implied enterprise value for 100% of Africa Holding amounts to US$1,225 million (€897 million). Based on 2006 reported accounts, the EV/EBITDA multiple paid for the 22% minority stake is 6.8x. The net capital gain resulting from this transaction should amount to approximately €50 million and is expected to be booked in the third quarter of 2007.
Africa Holding will aggregate all of PT’s holdings in sub-Saharan Africa, including: Angola - Unitel (mobile), 25%; Guinea-Bissau - Guinétel (mobile), 55%; Various - Directel (directories), 100%; Namibia - MTC (mobile), 34%; Guinea-Bissau - Guiné Telecom (fixed), 40%; Botswana - Mascom (mobile), management contract; Cape Verde - CVT (integrated), 40%; Mozambique - Teledata (data), 50%; São Tomé e Príncipe - CST (integrated), 51%; and, Angola - Multitel (data), 40%.
Africa Holding counted with a total customer base of 2.9 million at the end of 2006, which represented an increase of 58% y.o.y. At the end of June 2007, total customers reached 3.4 million. Considering 2006 reported figures, proportionate revenues and EBITDA amounted to €215 million and €131 million, respectively. The creation of Africa Holding should not result in any change in the consolidation method used by PT for its African holdings. Currently, Africa Holding holds a direct stake in MTC, with the transfer of the remaining holdings owned by PT being subject to approval by the relevant regulatory authorities.
Financial and Operating Highlights (2006)
|
Customers |
y.o.y. |
Revenues |
y.o.y. |
EBITDA |
y.o.y. |
Margin |
Net Debt |
Unitel |
2,049 |
71% |
517 |
46% |
346 |
41% |
67% |
-174 |
MTC |
610 |
36% |
113 |
19% |
68 |
13% |
60% |
-32 |
CVT |
182 |
19% |
63 |
16% |
40 |
26% |
63% |
-24 |
CST |
26 |
36% |
9 |
27% |
3 |
24% |
35% |
0 |
Other |
- |
- |
34 |
- |
8 |
- |
24% |
4 |
Notes: (1) Values in Euro million; (2) Notes: (1) Values in Euro million; (2) Customers in thousands; (3) Customers include fixed and mobile for integrated operators; and, (4) y.o.y in local currency.
The board of directors of Africa Holding will be composed of seven members, of whom four are designated by PT, two by Helios and one by both parties. The Chairman will be selected by PT and the Vice Chairman by Helios.
PT believes that the strategic partnership with Helios, through the creation of Africa Holding, should fulfil several objectives, namely: crystallise the value of PT’s portfolio of African assets; access future funding, through Africa Holding, in order to selectively expand the footprint in the region; leverage on the financial and operational competences of both partners; strengthen the relationship network and know-how in the region; reinforce the multinational profile of Africa Holding; and, retain management control of Africa Holding, allowing PT to continue consolidating the assets currently in the portfolio.
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14th August 2007
Ericsson and Warid Telecom strengthen managed services partnership in Pakistan
Ericsson AB and Warid Telecom (Pvt) Ltd have announced a new three-year managed services agreement that will deepen the existing strategic partnership between the two companies and marks Ericsson's first multivendor deal in Pakistan. Under the agreement, Ericsson will provide a range of new services for Warid.
The deal is an extension of an existing agreement to manage the operation and performance of Warid Telecom's nationwide GSM/GPRS network, expanding into other parts of the multivendor network.
The new agreement covers complete network operations, including field operations and network optimisation to ensure quality of the network. As part of the agreement, Warid employees from related function will be transferred to Ericsson.
The agreement will optimise Warid Telecom's operations and strengthen its ability to evolve and expand its business. Warid Telecom will retain ownership of the network, as well as responsibility for its strategic direction.
It will also allow Ericsson to develop a longer term perspective of the managed services requirements of Warid's network and invest in the appropriate resources, tools and processes.
Ericsson has partnered with Warid Telecom since 2004, building and managing its greenfield networks in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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14th August 2007
KPN in talks to acquire Tele2 Belgium
Royal KPN NV is in talks to buy Tele2 AB's Belgian operations for approximately €100 million, in an effort to further strengthen its operations in that country, according to Dow Jones Newswires. KPN said that the talks with Tele2 Belgium "may or may not lead to an acquisition".
KPN also said it will accelerate its €1 billion share buyback programme and denied reports that say it is bidding for Bouygues Telecom.
According to the report, Ad Scheepbouwer, Chief Executive Officer, stated: "We have just announced an intended bid for Getronics and are working on opportunities to strengthen our Belgian business by means of smaller fill-in acquisitions. This is not the time to entertain possibilities of a move to acquire Bouygues Telecom."
KPN said that the rationale about the possible takeover is to continue to grow the market share in Belgium by leveraging Tele2's strong presence in Wallonia and by "deploying new and different distribution channels and cross-selling products".
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14th August 2007
Elisa selects Ericsson as WCDMA/HSPA network supplier
Ericsson AB has been chosen by Finnish operator Elisa Corporation to deliver WCDMA/HSPA network equipment, taking the longstanding relationship between the two companies to a new level. The expansion will virtually double the coverage and capacity of Elisa's existing WCDMA/HSPA network.
Under the contract, Ericsson will more than double the number of radio base stations in the Elisa network over the coming year. By the end of the year, more than 120 towns and cities will have 3G coverage, strengthening Elisa's position as a leading Finnish 3G/HSPA network operator and service provider. Elisa chose Ericsson for the expansion project following a successful pilot that concluded earlier this year.
Ericsson's High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) solution provides increased data speeds by introducing enhancements in the uplink and the downlink. The technology boosts network capacity and cuts response times for interactive services, increasing the performance of mobile broadband.
The contract also covers support services, deployment, integration and educational services.
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13th August 2007
VimpelCom announces acquisition of a cellular operator in Irkutsk region
Vimpel Communications (VimpelCom) has announced that it has acquired Closed Joint Stock Company Corporation, Severnaya Korona (CSK), which holds GSM 900/1800 and D-AMPS licences covering the Irkutsk region.
The company acquired 100% of the shares of CSK for approximately US$232 million. The sole shareholder of CSK was Tele2 Sverige AB of Sweden, a subsidiary of Tele2 AB.
CSK’s GSM-900/1800 and D-AMPS licences cover a territory with a population of about 2.5 million. According to the VimpelCom's estimates, the CSK subscriber base as of the end of June 2007 amounted to over 571,000 subscribers (including more than 3,000 D-AMPS subscribers), which accounts for 21.5% of the entire cellular market in the Irkutsk region. According to independent surveys, the penetration level of cellular telecommunications in the region is about 107.6%.
Nikolai Pryanishnikov, VimpelCom’s Executive Vice-President and General Director for Russia, noted: "We are happy to announce our entry into one of the most important regions of the Far East and Siberia. The acquisition of CSK substantially enhances our position in Russia and expands the communication options available to existing and new subscribers. We plan to integrate the acquired company into VimpelCom’s network as soon as possible and offer the local population Beeline’s high level of service.”
Following the acquisition of CSK, VimpelCom's operating area covers 75 regions of the 85 administrative regions of the Russian Federation.
The VimpelCom Group includes companies operating in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Armenia. The VimpelCom Group's GSM and 3G licence portfolio covers a territory with a population of about 250 million. This includes the entire territories of Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Armenia.
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13th August 2007
Management & Capitali supports the development plans of Tiscali
Management & Capitali SpA (M&C) has approved an investment project aimed at supporting the development plans and the opportunities of growth of Tiscali SpA in the markets where it operates.
M&C has agreed with Tiscali to invest from €50 million to €165 million in Tiscali UK Ltd by way of a convertible debt financing or a capital increase, to reflect the financing requirements to support in particular the integration and the development plan following the recent acquisition of the broadband and voice division of Pipex Plc. The closing of the investment is expected by the end of 2007.
With the acqusition of Pipex by Tiscali UK, the Tiscali Group consolidates its top-tier positioning in the UK market, becoming one of the top four operators in the broadband and voice arena, with significant growth opportunities and with the potential objective of an IPO in the next three years.
Tommaso Pompei, CEO of Tiscali SpA, said: “We are glad of this agreement with Management & Capitali, which follows the recent €650 million financing by Banca Intesa Sanpaolo and JP Morgan and which offers the Tiscali Group additional financial flexibility in pursuing opportunities of growth and to implement its strategic plan."
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13th August 2007
TelstraClear to provide new nationwide mobile service
Telecom Corporation of New Zealand (TCNZ, or Telecom) and TelstraClear Ltd have announced the signing of a commercial agreement that will allow TelstraClear to provide a new nationwide mobile service.
The agreement will see TelstraClear launch its own TelstraClear mobile service later this year, providing a range of mobile services, bundles and prices via the Telecom network.
TelstraClear Chief Executive, Dr Allan Freeth, said the agreement is great for customers, enabling choice without the need to build a new mobile network.
Telecom acting CEO, Simon Moutter, said the agreement is also a positive move for the wider telecommunications industry. “This is an example of individual providers working together effectively to ensure best outcomes for customers,” said Mr Moutter.
TelstraClear will launch its new mobile service later this year, with details provided closer to the time. The service will mean customers can enjoy the benefits of a single bill from one provider delivering all their voice, data and mobile services.
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