Global operator strategies - 11 June 2005

French government has sold 6% of France Telecom for about €3.5- €4bn.

Viacom may bid for two cable channels from Telewest.

Interoute (pan-European service provider) is offering a multipoint, wide-area network (WAN) Ethernet service, claiming the biggest coverage in Europe with connections in 61 cities.

Teliasonera has applied to the International Court of Arbitration to defend its rights in purchasing key Turkcell assets from Cukurova Group. In March, Cukurova agreed to sell 27% of Turkcell to Teliasonera, but did not sign yet the deal. In the mean time, Alfa group has made a higher offer, more attractive for Cukurova, in current financial turmoil.

Another Nordic operator struggling with Alfa group is Telenor. Russian Vimpelcom operator control is the casus belli. If Alfa gains control, Telenor may exit Vimpelcom.

Portugal Telecom has formed Africa PT, a unit that will aggregate all the PT businesses in Africa.

BT (UK) is to launch a cellphone that can function as an ordinary cellphone when the user is out the home but relay calls using Bluetooth via a fixed-line connection when the user is at home. DoCoMo, KT or Cingular, SBC, Sprint Bellsouth are also testing such technology.

France Telecom has taken about 24% of Portuguese alternative télécom provider SonaeCom, in exchange of its 20% stake in wireless operator Optimus, its 43% interest in Novis, and in Clix (ISP).

BT (UK) introduced in Cardiff its new Microconnect Distributed Antenna (MDA) system that allows operators to share small antennas in downtowns. The new system uses low-powered BT antennas housed in existing street furniture and linked by BT Wholesale's fiber-optic cable network to a BT exchange.