KDDI to reduce stake in J:COM (Japan)
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Japan’s second largest telecoms group KDDI Corp is set to buy a reduced stake in the firm from its owner US-based Liberty Global to scale back its aspirations for Japanese cable network operator J:COM. On January 25, a USD4 billion cash deal was signed between KDDI Corp and cable TV operator Jupiter Telecommunications (J:COM) from Liberty Global Inc. as per which 38% stake of the latter was acquired by the former.
Through this deal, KDDI hopes to get an access to a potential 3.2 million households for telephony services and simultaneously reduce its reliance of using NTT’s fibre-optic networks.
Soon after that, the deal got entangled and investigation into the legality of the plan was started by the regulators who were looking to slap an USD884 million fine on KDDI. According to KDDI spokeswoman Kayo Sekine at that time, the company will cooperate if the FSA should make a formal request for information and adhere to any FSA guidance. However, no comment was given on the rumored USD884 million fines.
DT not obliged to grant access to VDSL dark fibre: German court
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: According to the latest ruling by highest administrative court, the Leipzig-based Bundesverwaltungsgericht, Deutsche Telekom (DT) is not obliged to grant competitors access to dark fibre on its VDSL network.
However, DT has been asked to follow the December 2009 order of Federal Network Agency (FNA) to allow its competitors access to its street cabinets and empty pipes.
A complaint has also been filed by UK-based operator Vodafone following the failure of talks between its German unit and DT to negotiate access to the latter’s VDSL network. The company has argued that the fact that it constituted a new market and the scale of its investment means that the fibre-optic network should be exempted from competition.
Warid Telecom secures USD60 million loan for Bangladeshi telecoms project
UAE-based telco Warid Telecom has secured a USD60 million syndicated loan from more than 20 banks and financial institutions in Bangladesh to support its planned USD460 million telecoms project in the country. The lead arranger for the deal is Industrial Infrastructure Developing Finance Company (IIDFC). Warid Telecom will reportedly secure USD45 million from conventional banks and USD15 million from Islamic banks. The six-year facility will be used to finance the operator’s projects in Bangladesh that include GSM and fibre-optic network rollouts. Warid Telecom secured a licence for mobile telephony in Bangladesh late last year for USD50 million.
