Alcatel-Lucent CEO Michel Combes has called on the European Commission (EC) and its new president, Jean-Claude Juncker, to maintain a level playing field for vendor financing.
Speaking in an interview in this month’s issue of TelecomFinance, Combes…
Alcatel-Lucent CEO Michel Combes has called on the European Commission (EC) and its new president, Jean-Claude Juncker, to maintain a level playing field for vendor financing.
Speaking in an interview in this month’s issue of TelecomFinance, Combes highlighted financing as a key barrier to competition and said global companies should have access to the same type of financing.
Alcatel-Lucent is past the halfway point in its three-year ‘shift plan’ to restructure, refinance and reposition the company. Combes said his firm is now ready to “fight to win” in the marketplace, but that certain competition issues needed to be looked into.
“All the players, wherever they come from, should be on an even level when it comes to accessing financing and markets, and respecting the rules of the game from an international point of view,” he said.
Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE have been accused in the past to have access to more financial backing from the country’s state-controlled banks compared to their competitors.
The EC ended a long-running dispute with China in October over telecoms exports after agreeing an amicable settlement with the country’s government.
The full interview with Michel Combes will be published in the December issue of TelecomFinance magazine, out on 18 December.
