Sale of Telekom Srbija may be cancelled (Serbia)
The government officials have stated that Serbia may decide not to sell a 51% stake in Telekom Srbija if bidders offer less than the minimum price of US$1.9 billion.
According to the officials, they will not sell it at any cost. If offers are below minimum price then they will say that the tender had failed.
Four firms are seen as expected bidders in the sale, for which Belgrade has set 21 March as a deadline for binding bids.
The official added that Deutsche Telekom, Telekom Austria, VimpelCom and Weather Investments would be likely bidders. France Telecom has already left, while America Movil and Turkcell are almost certain to pull out.
Turkcell and France Telecom have stated that they would not be bidding as the prices are too high.
Telenor’s landline talks with Serbian operator deadlocked
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The talk over the leasing of landline infrastructure between Norwegian telecoms group Telenor and Serbian fixed line incumbent Telekom Srbija has come under deadlock. Without this deal, Telenor cannot operate.
According to Ana Davico, a Belgrade-based Telenor spokeswoman, the company has placed a standard offer, usual for other European countries, but Telekom Srbija wants more favourable terms and that is unacceptable.
Telenor was awarded nation’s second landline phone license by Serbia’s telecom regulator Ratel for EUR1.05 million (USD1.42 million) in January. The Norwegian company pledged to lease Telekom Srbija’s infrastructure before developing its own fibre-optic network.
Serbia Offers Tender for Mobile Operator
BELGRADE, Serbia – Serbia offered a tender Tuesday for a third mobile phone operator in the country, setting the minimum price at euro320 million (US$405 million) for the envisaged 10-year, renewable license.
The Balkan country’s Telecommunications Agency announced the decision along with conditions for perspective bidders: offers will be considered only from a well-established mobile telephony provider that has at least 3 million customers and 2005 revenues in excess of euro500 million (US$632 million).
The announcement came just months after a major state-run provider was sold to Telenor ASA, of Norway, for euro1.5 billion (US$1.9 billion) along with a 10-year, renewable operating license. The other existing mobile phone company in Serbia is state-run Telekom.
The agency said that interested companies can acquire necessary documentation about the tender and make official offers Nov. 3.
Source- http://www.chron.com
