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Hutchison prepares bid for o2 or EE
jabbamk1
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Hong Kong's Hutchison Whampoa, which owns mobile operator Three UK, is preparing a bid for mobile operators EE or O2, currently in exploratory talks about selling their operations to BT, several people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Hutchison could make an offer for either company by the end of the year, as BT is expected to decide on a deal within weeks.
Hutchison, which according to the sources is working on the deal with a consultancy, was not available to comment. Telefonica, which wants to sell O2 to repay debt, could sell to Hutchison if a deal with BT falls through. O2, valued at GBP 9.4 billion, would also be less expensive than EE, at EUR 22 billion.
Hutchison, which according to the sources is working on the deal with a consultancy, was not available to comment. Telefonica, which wants to sell O2 to repay debt, could sell to Hutchison if a deal with BT falls through. O2, valued at GBP 9.4 billion, would also be less expensive than EE, at EUR 22 billion.
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I do wonder if a EE+Three deal would get EU approval imagine they would have to give up some of there 1800MHz and 2100MHz spectrum to Vodafone or O2 but imagine they would be allowed keep the 2x10MHz of 800MHz a combined company would have. Which would be one of the major benefits. Vodafone would be worried as hell if EE managed to even keep 2x10MHz of 800MHz 2x20MHz of 1800MHz and 2x20MHz of 2600MHz. Hutchison definitely could afford to buy EE.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/11/27/uk-hutchisonwhampoa-ee-o2-exclusive-idUKKCN0JB25F20141127
Hutchison and O2 talks have been going on for ages.
Everyone and their mum knew about that...
http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Lenny-Listening-The-Simpsons.gif
Vodafone weighing takeover of Liberty Global (who own Virgin Media)
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-28/vodafone-said-to-eye-takeover-of-malone-s-liberty-global.html
Aside from the European cable assets Vodafone are interested in it could also give them Virgin's ~3 million mobile customers, and significant additional fibre assets in the UK including the provision of backhaul and core transport for the other operators.
That's exactly what I looked like as I got to your post!
Coax Hans Snook out of the local colonic irrigation centre with 200 B&H, change the wording and logo on here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNumMxlxqGo
....and you're good to go!
What are you talking about? They were not rumours about BT. It has been confirmed, it's a fact that they are looking at buying O2 or EE.
I would like BT to come back into the market to shake things up massively, O2 is probably the perfect fit for BT, there would be little competition complaints, they would have end and low end spectrum. Though they are looking at EE as well, I should imagine that would raise competition concerns especially in respect of spectrum, I still think EE should have been forced to divest more than the 30Mhz they have done so already.
What my biggest concern is the market being reduced to 3 operators, I suppose it isn't impossible for the parent company of Three to buy EE or O2 and still run them as separate entities. The most likely merger would be O2, as EE wouldn't be allowed to proceed due to a then effective monopoly. I really hope the plurality as is protected as I would loathe competition to be reduced to 3 networks. I can't see how this would avoid being referred to the Monopolies and Mergers commission, even then they must rubber stamp it
Vodafone is still in talks with Sky as well, whether that comes of anything remains to be seen. However they are working on concrete proposals for their forthcoming "quadplay" packages. Potential offering of mobile and landline together so that when you are out and about people can contact you on your landline but would be diverted to your mobile should you not be at home, amongst some other things.
I think competition works well when you have more guerilla providers, but it seems we could be heading in a direction that threatens such outcomes
I have a good friend that's deeply embedded in Vodafone (ex Cable & Wireless) and he says this won't happen.
Part of what Vodafone got when they bought C&W was the ex Bulldog/Pipex LLU infrastructure, so they can offer Quad Play (or "Four" Play as it's currently being referred to within Vodafone!) to far more customers using that, than they could ever hope to reach using Virgin's cable network.
Virgin was definitely explored, but only until someone (an ex C&W person) reminded them that they've already got a network to be able to offer voice & data over.
There's massive cost savings to be achieved by offering service over their own HFC network (if they bought Virgin) rather than using the LLU network they have. What you've got to remember about LLU is they've got to pay rental to BT to locate in their exchanges, they've got to rent some fibre off BT (Ethernet Backhaul Direct) to link onto their own network and also you've got Openreach costs.
Agreed, but as they already have an LLU network, buying Virgin is an unnecessary cost.
After all, O2 (when it was BT Cellnet or Cellnet, or whatever) was the first mobile network to launch GPRS. We need that sort of "get up and go" attitude today.
Don't think they will need to.
O2 have masts on the Moon apparently!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3jvbm1srmprhwdo/O2_moon.JPG?dl=0
I believe it was Dave from O2 who said "One small step for man, and one 3G mast for o2."
You got the joke haha.