Vodafone, Telemar Among Likely Bidders for New Brazil Licenses
By Elzio Barreto
Sao Paulo, Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Vodafone Group Plc, Telecom Italia Mobile SpA and Tele Norte Leste Participacoes SA are among the companies likely to bid for new wireless licenses Brazil plans to sell starting next week, analysts said.
Brazil's government expects to raise at least 6.73 billion reais ($3.43 billion) for nine new licenses to offer mobile phone services. Companies participating in the bidding process have to make a cash deposit today with the Brazilian Clearing and Depository Corp., known as CBLC, to guarantee their participation in the auction.
``We're considering the options,'' said Vodafone spokesman Jon Earl. ``We will only go into auctions if we think it will create value for customers and shareholders.''
Other likely bidders include Spain's Telefonica SA, Brasil Telecom Participacoes SA and Telecom Americas Ltd., the $4 billion joint venture between Bell Canada International Inc., Telefonos de Mexico SA and SBC Communications Inc.
Operators such as Telecom Italia and Portugal Telecom SGPS SA have stepped up efforts to consolidate their business in Brazil, looking for potential acquisitions to help compete with new arrivals before the wireless market is opened to increased competition.
Brazil's telecommunications regulator Anatel expects the auction to take place next Tuesday, as planned, despite a petition by a group of investors trying to postpone the sale of the licenses.
The National Association of Investors in Capital Markets, which represents minority shareholders, filed the petition in a Federal Court in Brasilia. A decision is expected later today, but Anatel said it is prepared to appeal any sentence blocking the sale of the new wireless licenses.
Brazil's government will auction three licenses on Jan. 30, three on Feb. 20, and three on March 13. |
