Global operator strategies - 28 May 2005

Telenor (Norway) will buy Swedish Bredbandsbolaget (24% market share) for $820m and Danish Cybercity (8% market share) for $236m. Both are broadband services suppliers in their respective countries.

Teliasonera could take legal action against the Turkish group Cukurova, which did not sign the final Turkcell share purchase agreement (remember Teliasonera made a deal to buy 27% stake in Turkcell).

DoCoMo or KDDI are named as potential partners for TOT (Thailand) to help it launching 3G services. TOT should be privatized in 10/05 and needs to show it is moving forwards on new technologies.

SingTel (Singapore) has increased its stake in Bharti Telecom (India) to 33% and in Bharti Tele-ventures to 31%.

Telefonica sold its UK unit to NetServices.

In line with management shakeup at Vivo (Brazil) (see People section below), some analysts believe Portugal Telecom could be interested to sell its stake in the JV to Telefonica and buy fixed or mobile operators, such as Telemar or Brazil Telecom.

Oscar Slim (and Telmex) from Mexico, is consolidating its Brazilian assets under the Embratel umbrella. Embratel will buy Telmex's 37% (worth $350m) in Netservicos (a local pay television company) and Telmex do Brazil (for about $200m)

China Telecom is looking for a strategic partner to explore overseas growth prospects.

BT will launch its BluePhone handset, a universal fixed + mobile phone. A single phone number and you can access either a fixed home network (via Bluetooth) or a GSM mobile network.