France Telecom evince interest in buying MobiFone shares

France Telecom group, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators, on November 16 continued determining its wish to purchase shares of Vietnam’s MobiFone mobile network provider when MobiFone decided to make equitisation.

Charles Kennaway, Asean region general director of Regional Orange Business Services, a key brand of France Telecom Group, said: France Telecom has pursued plans to buy shares of MobiFone from four-years ago. And, although the equitisation of MobiFone happens slower than expected, we continue to pursue this plan.

According to Kennaway, as planned, the IPO of MobiFone was carried out in 2008 but till date it is making very slowly. The equitisation of MobiFone will happen fast or slowly depending much on the policy and will of the Vietnamese government.

While waiting for the equitisation of MobiFone, France Telecom said that in the near future, it will continue to take long-term cooperation with Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) and Vietnam Data-communication Co (VDC)
On the same day, Orange Business Services announced cooperation with Joint Stock Co for Telecom and Informatics (CT-IN), a member of VNPT, to provide information technology and telecommunication system management service in Vietnam. This service will be provided basing on the next generation network (NGN), mainly for enterprises with many branches in localities to ensure for the smooth connection, security administration and information data storage.

Currently, this service has been tested successfully and will be launched in Q1 2011.

Along with MobiFone, three other telecommunications companies including VinaPhone and EVN Telecom also planed to make equitisation soon.

Recently, EVN Telecom revealed that it will be able to sell 60% stake to FPT Telecom and the remaining for other partners.

Meanwhile, Saigon Telecommunications Joint Stock Co (SPT) recently also announced to sell stake of S-Fone network for a foreign partner after SK Telecom withdrew from the business cooperation contract from the end of 2009. SPT expected to seek a foreign partner within the Vietnamtelecomp exhibition that will be taken place from November 17 to 20 at Saigon Exhibition Centre, in HCM City’s Dist 7. – TBKTSG

Tags: France Telecom