The CEO of US telco AT&T, Randall Stephenson, was quoted as saying that Nextel has Mexican assets that are interesting and attractive.
Nextel Mexico, which is the country’s fourth-largest carrier with a 2.8 million subscriber base, is owned by…
The CEO of US telco AT&T, Randall Stephenson, was quoted as saying that Nextel has Mexican assets that are interesting and attractive.
Nextel Mexico, which is the country’s fourth-largest carrier with a 2.8 million subscriber base, is owned by US-based NII Holdings, which filed for bankruptcy in mid-September.
At the time, the company said in a statement that NII’s operating units in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina were not part of the US bankruptcy proceedings and would continue to operate as usual.
Stephenson, who commented on Nextel during an investor conference yesterday, also played down rumours that AT&T’s recent US$2.5bn acquisition of Mexico’s third-largest carrier Iusacell was a precursor to a bid for some of America Movil’s (AMX) Mexican assets, according to multiple reports.
He reportedly said that if a sale process materialises over time and the assets look attractive, the company would review them but that it did not need them to succeed in the Mexican market.
Carlos Slim’s AMX, which owns number one mobile player Telcel, has been required to sell some of its assets to comply with new regulations aimed at curbing its dominance in the country’s telecoms industry.
The company, which controls 70% of the Mexican mobile market and 80% of the fixed-line segment, has to reduce its market share to below 50%.
In addition to AT&T, Softbank, Bell Canada, China Mobile and Telefonica have also been rumoured to be among the potential bidders for the assets.
The chairman of Telefonica Mexico, Francisco Gil Diaz, was quoted as saying yesterday any possible interest by his company in AMX’s assets would depend on the price.
AT&T and Nextel did not respond to a request for comment.
