French cabler Numericable, which is being 35 percent acquired by US investment fund Carlyle, is prepared to have another look at France''s fourth mobile network licence, said Carlyle France managing director Benoit Colas. He told Les Echos that Numericable now has the means to go it alone with the licence, which it considered previously with Egypt''s Orascom, then pulled out after seeking a lower fee and staggered payments. Carlyle thinks Numericable would gain significant synergies from a merger with triple-play operator Free. The French national cabler could also develop an international network with other European cable companiesThe first in line would be Kabel Deutschland, whose US parent Providence is discussing an alliance. Cable network owners in Spain, Portugal and Belgium are expected to issue shares soon. According to Colas, a rapprochement with France''s third mobile operator, Bouygues Telecom, is no longer being considered.


Source:Telecompaper

Tags:Cable