Global operator strategies - 25/06/05

Telecom Italia has complete merger with Telecom Italia Mobile, its mobile arm.

ATT said it is also trying and deploying fixed mobile convergence.

Telfort (NL) is for sale for about €1.2bn.

Mexico's government has signed an agreement with Microsoft, Intel, others, to promote the construction of homes with computers and broadband Internet access.

Greece, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Fomer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey have signed a pact to achieve the development of a unified broadband market in the region.

BT has agreed to make radical changes to its structure so that competitors will receive access to its network on the same terms as BT Retail. This way BT can avoid split up of the company and will form a new division, Access Services, to take control of the local loop.

Merger between NTL and Telewest (both in the UK) is ongoing. NTL could pay as much as €9bn to buy Telewest.

America Movil abandons plans to enter the Spanish market.

In a move that will increase tension between Telenor and Alfa Group, the two main shareholders, Vimpelcom (Russia) shareholders have elected three new independent directors as Board members, two presented by the Alfa group and one presented by Telenor.

A Turkish consortium, led by Turk Telecom, has bought 76% of the Albanian state phone company Albtelecom for €120m.

C&W is said talking with Energis on a potential merger.