Global operator strategies - 03/05/07

Indian regulator has approved Vodafone' s purchase of mobile operator Hutchison Essar (India).

BTC (Bulgaria) has been bought by an unknown company for about $1.8bn (for a 65% stake).

Telecom Italia has sent a demand to the European Commission to protect it from the Bolivian government in the process of buying back the Entel shares at a greatly reduced price. TI owns 51% in Entel, the incumbent Bolivian telco, since 1995. The Bolivian government is said trying to pay only $170m for TI' s stake in Entel, in contrast with the $1bn+ paid by TI in buying it and expanding its network.

Etisalat (UAE) has raised its stake in Ivory Coast's Atlantique Telecom from 50% to 70%.

Maxis (Malaysia) would be bought out by one of its shareholders, Ananda Krishnan, who holds about 47% in the company.

The EU Commission is preparing the final stage before sending last warning before launching a suit for anti-competitive behavior in the case of DT' s high speed fiber optic network in Germany. The operator is supported by the German government.