Cableco UPC Ireland is in talks with local mobile operators about launching an MVNO in the country and is said to be close to a deal with Hutchison Three.
A UPC spokesperson told Ireland’s Independent newspaper that the company, owned by cable giant…
Cableco UPC Ireland is in talks with local mobile operators about launching an MVNO in the country and is said to be close to a deal with Hutchison Three.
A UPC spokesperson told Ireland’s Independent newspaper that the company, owned by cable giant Liberty Global, aims to provide a pan-European service competing with European telecoms companies.
Meanwhile, Hutchison is thought to be finalising an agreement with a new mobile market entrant as part of its remedies package to secure regulatory approval for its planned €850m takeover of O2 Ireland. UPC is considered a front-running candidate. Hutchison is said to have offered the new entrant the opportunity to acquire additional customers from the merged Three/O2 as well as some spectrum.
The European Commission (EC) lifted the suspension of its review of the planned takeover, designed to give the merging parties time to provide more information, on 5 May. The new provisional deadline is 20 June. Talks to tweak remedies continued during the five-week suspension period, aspects of which are understood to have involved third parties, indicating Hutchison is finalising an agreement with a new mobile entrant.
The EC is believed to favour a newcomer that is a full mobile network operator over an MVNO, the report stated.
UPC Ireland was not available for comment.
