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TELENOR

Telenor strikes back in Vimpelcom control battle

Norway's Telenor said on Thursday it would again be the largest shareholder in mobile phone operator Vimpelcom after acquiring additional shares, surpassing the stake owned by a Russian businessman.

Published: 16 August 2012 14:38 CEST

Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman's Altimo firm said on Wednesday it had become the biggest shareholder in Vimpelcom after a $3.6 billion deal with Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris, extending a bitter feud with Telenor for control of a company with the world's sixth-largest mobile subscriber base.

But Telenor also said it had acquired more voting shares in Vimpelcom after Sawiris' Weather Investments decided to exercise a sell option, taking its stake in Vimpelcom to 43 percent against 40.5 percent for Altimo.

No price was given for the transaction, which Telenor said should be completed by October 1st at the latest.

Fridman is one of Russia's most powerful businessmen and the country's authorities have yet to recognise all of Telenor's additional acquisitions of Vimpelcom stock.

Their disputes have become a part of official government contacts between Moscow and Oslo.

Thursday's edition of the Kommersant business daily said Russia's Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) had come up with a four-point peace pact that would see mutual operation of Vimpelcom by the two enemy camps.

The accord — terms of which would approve the Norwegian's company acquisition of additional shares in Vimpelcom — would see Altimo and Telenor reach parity and install a Russian as the head of the operator.

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TELENOR

Norway’s Telenor sells out of India as tycoon weighs in

Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel will buy the local operations of Norway's Telenor, it said Thursday, as the ultra-competitive mobile market is shaken up by the country's richest man.

Published: 23 February 2017 20:26 CET
Norway's Telenor sells out of India as tycoon weighs in
Former Telenor CEO launching the company's ill-fated India business in 2009. Photo: peerdahl/Wikimedia Commons
Tycoon Mukesh Ambani launched Reliance Jio's 4G network in September with an audacious free service for the rest of 2016, followed by vastly cheaper data plans and free voice calls for life.
 
The move forced rivals to slash their tariffs and scramble to match the deep pockets of Jio, which is backed by Ambani's vast energy-to-chemicals conglomerate Reliance Industries and picked up 100 million subscribers in its first six months
   
Bharti's acquisition is the latest movement towards consolidation in India's telecoms sector as major players try to position themselves to best face the tough new environment.
   
The move, which still needs to be approved by regulators, will enhance its coverage, the company said in a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), and see Telenor exit India.
   
“The proposed acquisition will include transfer of all of Telenor India's assets and customers, further augmenting Airtel's overall base and network,” the Indian firm said in the statement.
   
Last month British mobile phone behemoth Vodafone announced that it was in talks to merge its Indian unit with Mumbai-based Idea Cellular in its own move to counter Jio's rise.
   
That deal would create India's largest telecoms company. Global brokerage firm CLSA estimated that the pair would command a combined 43 percent share of market revenue, ahead of Airtel, which is currently the market leader, on 33 percent.
 
Reliance Communications — owned by Ambani's brother Anil Ambani — and Tata Teleservices, part of the sprawling salt-to-steel Tata conglomerate, are also reportedly in talks to join forces.
   
Reliance merged with telecom operator Aircel in September last year. Bharti Airtel's shares surged more than five percent in Mumbai morning trade following the Telenor deal announcement.
   
“The decision to exit India has not been taken lightly,” Sigve Brekke, Telenor Group CEO, said in the statement.
   
“After thorough consideration, it is our view that the significant investments needed to secure Telenor India's future business on a standalone basis will not give an acceptable level of return,” he added.
   
Telecoms analyst Baburajan Kizhakedath said Telenor was quitting India because the intense competition meant there was no scope for growth. “The Airtel-Telenor deal is probably the best exit route for Telenor,” he told AFP.