Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom among 9 shortlisted for Serbia's Mobi 63
05.19.2006, 12:23 PM
BELGRADE (AFX) - Deutsche Telekom AG and France Telecom SA are among 9 companies that have been shortlisted for the tender of Mobi 63, the Serbian wireless business put on sale by the Belgrade government, Serbia's Privatisation Agency said.
Telekom Austria AG's Mobilkom Austria, Egypt's Orascom Telecom Holding, Norway's Telenor ASA, TeliaSonera AB and Tele2 AB from Sweden, Russia's Mobile TeleSystems and Emirates-based Etisalat were also shortlisted, it said.
Israeli mobile provider Cellcom, which had registered for the tender, is the only firm that was not accepted.
To qualify for the tender, the potential buyer must be a telecoms firm with a 'good reputation', more than 3 mln users and a 2005 turnover of more than 500 mln eur.
A spokesman for the privatisation agency told AFX News the shortlisted companies are now invited to submit proposals.
Deutsche Telekom said it has not yet filed a bid.
'We now have the chance to examine closely whether we want to submit a bid,' a spokeswoman for the German telecoms giant said.
The Serbian government announced the sales of Mobi 63 in April and has set the starting price at 800 mln eur.
The wireless business, formerly know as Mobtel, has nearly 2 mln subscribers and is 70 pct owned by the Serbian government, with the remaining 30 pct held by Austrian investors.
(
Forbes)