According to FT, DT may want both FON and VSTR. A prelude to a four way deal with WCOM getting PCS?!
See links below:
dailynews.yahoo.com
The newspaper noted Deutsche Telekom's continued interest in acquiring Sprint Corp. (NYSE:FON - news), a larger mobile-phone operation, which is ``likely to be put up for auction following the collapse of a rival bid from WorldCom.''
The newspaper said industry observers believe Deutsche Telekom, partly owned by the German government, is ``maneuvering ahead of a larger bid for Sprint, which is thought to be holding out for a high price in the belief that it is the only realistic mobile phone target'' for company chairman Ron Sommer.
news.ft.com
The early move on VoiceStream was seen by industry watchers on Monday night as manoeuvring ahead of a larger bid for Sprint, which is thought to be holding out for a high price in the belief that it is the only realistic mobile phone target for Mr Sommer in the US.
"This is dangerous play by Deutsche and could easily backfire if Sprint decide to walk away," said one telecoms banker.
The German carrier made preliminary contact with Sprint after it emerged that the WorldCom deal was in danger, though a purchase of Sprint is now said by people close to Deutsche to be only one of a number of possible deals the company could pursue.
Deutsche's initial interest in Sprint met with fierce resistance from some US politicians who questioned whether a company partly owned by a foreign government should be allowed to acquire control of a mobile phone licence. Similar problems could dog the bid for VoiceStream. |
