telecommunications — english language news service

16.05.2008« [telecommunications — телекоммуникация — telekommunikation]

france — sfr launches neuf cegetel buyout offer

French mobile operator SFR, backed by media and telecoms conglomerate Vivendi, has launched a formal public offer for rival French telecoms group neuf Cegetel, Dow Jones reports. SFR has reportedly submitted a filing with the country’s stock exchange watchdog AMF committing to acquiring the neuf Cegetel shares it does not already own for EUR35.90 (USD55.56) per share between 19 May and 13 June. The filing also confirmed SFR already owns 77.9% of neuf’s shares.

On 16 April SFR and parent company Vivendi announced they had received permission from the government to close the purchase of the stake held in neuf Cegetel by the Louis Dreyfus Group. SFR outlined a EUR4.4 billion deal to buy the alternative telco in December 2007. The SFR/neuf Cegetel tie-up will create France’s second largest operator and provide a credible competitor to dominant telco France Telecom.

Source: TeleGeography's CommsUpdate

france telecom

France Telecom offers its individual customers, businesses and other telecommunications operators a line of services covering fixed and mobile communications, data transmission, the Internet and multimedia, and other added-value services. As of December 31, 2007, France Telecom provided services to 170.1 million customers. It operates in three segments: the Personal Communication Services (PCS), the Home Communication Services (HCS) and the Enterprise Communication Service (ECS). The PCS segment consists of the mobile telecommunication services in France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Poland and Rest of the World; the HCS segment includes the fixed-line telecommunication activities (fixed-line telephony, Internet services, operator services) in France, Poland and the Rest of the World, as well as the distribution and support functions provided to the other segments of the France Telecom group, and the ECS segment holds the communication solutions and services in France and worldwide.

neuf cegetel

Neuf Cegetel SA is a France-based telecommunications operator. The Company offers a range of fixed and mobile telephony, Internet and digital television services to residential, business and wholesale customers in France. The services include Internet and broadband access, fixed/mobile telephony convergence services, optical fiber networks, digital subscriber line (DSL) access, voice and data traffic services, and bandwidth capacity and hosting, among others. The Company owns and operates a number of subsidiaries, including Jet Multimedia, LDCollectivites and Wengo. Jet Multimedia is a provider of business solutions and interactive online services over Internet and mobile and fixed telephony. LDCollectivites is a provider of broadband networks to local authorities. Wengo offers Internet telephony services. Neuf Cegetel SA is headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

sfr (société française du radiotéléphone)

Established in 1987, SFR (formerly Société Française du Radiotéléphone) is the France's second-largest wireless telecom operator and has more than 18 million subscribers. Its network covers 87% of the country and it extends calling internationally in more than 200 countries. More than 2.5 million customers use the company's third-generation (3G) wireless services. SFR is 56%-owned by Vivendi and 44% by UK-based wireless telecom giant Vodafone Group.

vivendi

Vivendi SA is a France-based company principally engaged in telecommunications services and media entertainment. The Company operates five core subsidiaries: Universal Music Group, Vivendi Games, Canal + Group, SFR and Maroc Telecom. Universal Music Group (UMG) specializes in the publishing and distribution of music content. Vivendi Games develops, publishes and distributes multiplatform interactive entertainment. Canal + Group is notably engaged in the production and distribution of pay-television in France. SFR, which is a mobile telecommunications operator, is also engaged in the fixed-line telecommunications market. Maroc Telecom is a telecommunications operator (mobile, fixed and Internet) in Morocco. The Company also holds a 20% stake in NBC Universal, which specializes in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. Vivendi SA is headquartered in Paris, France.