Brazil allows 2 groups to bid on "mirror" licenses
Reuters, Tuesday, January 05, 1999 at 16:44
BRASILIA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government has
cleared two consortia to compete for licenses to establish and
operate parallel telephone services in the country, Anatel, the
telecoms watchdog agency, said on Tuesday.
U.S. long-distance company Sprint Corp. (NYSE:FON), France
Telecom (SBF:FTE) and Britain's National Grid (ISEL:NGG) --
comprising the Bonaire Holding consortium -- were approved to
bid for a "mirror" license to compete with Brazil's existing
Embratel (SAO:EBTP4) long-distance carrier.
Bell Canada International (TSE:BI), Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM)
do Brasil and Brazil's Vicunha industrial group -- belonging to
the Cambra consortium -- were approved to bid for a license to
compete with Brazil's Tele Norte Leste (SAO:TNLP4) phone
company.
Brazil plans to sell the two "mirror" licenses on Jan. 15
to compete with the former units of Telebras that were sold in
a privatization auction last July.
A third consortium, called Fixcel and controlled by Splice
do Brasil, was barred from bidding for the concessions. The
consortium already owns stakes in other Brazilian telephone
companies, Anatel said.
The government announced in December that it was postponing
the sale of two other fixed-line "mirror" concessions until
March because they had failed to attract initial interest.
Since then, 11 companies have bought bid specifications for
a concession to compete with Telesp Participacoes (SAO:TLPP4)
and Tele Centro Sul (SAO:TCSP4), Anatel said Tuesday.
Ericsson Telecomunicacoes (SAO:ERIC4), Lucent Technologies
Inc. (NYSE:LU), and NEC (TOKYO:6701) do Brasil were among the
companies that bought the documents.
Potential bidders have until Feb. 5 to present proposals
for the second auction.
Copyright 1999, Reuters News Service
|
