Tags:Emirates Telecom | MTN | ITU

The UAE''s Emirates Telecommunications Corp. (Etisalat) has confirmed that it is interested in a possible spoiler bid for South Africa''s MTN - but did not seem to confirm that any concrete plans were being carried out.

"We are always looking for expansion in Africa," Etisalat Chairman, Mohammed Omran said at the ITU conference in Cairo. "We are evaluating MTN, among other companies."

"I see within three to four years that revenue from Africa will not be less than 25 percent," Omran said.

MTN has been in talks with India''s Bharti Airtel regarding a possible buyout or merger of the two companies.

As of January 2008, Etisalat is thought to operate over 33 million subscribers in 15 countries, following a spending spree of AED 30 billion (roughly US$8.2 billion) in international acquisitions and investments.

Etisalat International is the company''s business unit that operates outside the UAE and manages Etisalat stakes in telecommunications carriers in Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Gabon, Niger, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo and Pakistan. Other telecommunications services providers that Etisalat has invested in include CanarTel in Sudan, Atlantique Telecom (offering services in Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Cote d¨Ivoire, Togo, Gabon and Central African Republic), Zantel (Tanzania), Etisalat Afghanistan, Thuraya.



Source:cellular-news