Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Vodafone-Airtouch (NYSE: VOD) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: David Wiggins who wrote (1949)	9/21/1999 8:22:00 AM
From: David Wiggins	Respond to of 3175

WestLB's Tysoe on Vodafone, Bell U.S. Mobile Merger: Comment Bloomberg News September 21, 1999, 4:56 a.m. PT London, Sept. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The following are comments by John Tysoe, an analyst with WestLB Panmure in London, on news that Vodafone AirTouch Plc and Bell Atlantic Corp. are combining their U.S. wireless operations in a new company. ``This is definitely the best of all possible worlds. It gives both instant national access.' On the size of the new combined company: ``This makes the American joint venture the third-largest mobile company in the world after Vodafone AirTouch and NTT DoCoMo (NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc.) in Japan. This will be twice the size of its next largest competitor. Unlike Sprint Corp., this national footprint is already built out. It hits the ground running with a national infrastructure, a huge marketing presence in all markets and enormous benefits of scope and scale compared to anyone else in the U.S. market. There is a commonality of interest which is so strong that it is unlikely there will be a significant divergence of direction. They both know what has to be done.' On Vodafone taking a 45 percent stake in new company: ``On the basis of what the two companies are putting into the venture, Vodafone is emerging with a slightly higher portion of the equity than perhaps it should. Before the merger, both Vodafone and AirTouch were masters of the art of minority management. You put in place the right kind of shareholder agreement and that means you have influence to a greater degree than the actual shareholding would suggest. AirTouch had 35 percent of Mannesmann AG, but they had very significant influence.'