Eurobites: Italian government could take 20% stake in TIM deal
Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Telia appoints new CFO; roaming is go in Senegal; Lyca Mobile remains friends with the Hammers.
Also in today's EMEA regional roundup: Telia appoints new CFO; roaming is go in Senegal; Lyca Mobile remains friends with the Hammers.
The Italian government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with private equity firm KKR which could see the government take a stake of up to 20% in what is currently Telecom Italia's wireline grid. As Reuters reports, KKR is in talks with Telecom Italia over the acquisition of its fixed network infrastructure – dubbed NetCo – and has until the end of September to submit a binding offer. The government of Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has previously indicated it wants to retain a public ownership element of the wireline infrastructure. (See TIM starts exclusive talks with KKR over fixed assets and Telecom Italia is how other telcos fear they may one day look.)
Telia has appointed former KPN Belgium boss Eric Hageman as its new group chief financial officer, replacing Per Christian Mørland, who is leaving the company at the end of September. Tim Pennington, who was previously appointed interim CFO, will revert to what the company calls an "advisory position" within the company. Telia could be in for a spot of turbulence generally in the coming months as its current CEO, Allison Kirkby, is off to head up BT at the start of next year, replacing Philip Jansen in the hotseat. (See BT plays it safe with naming of Allison Kirkby as next CEO.)
Senegal's communications regulator has welcomed the introduction of roaming arrangements between the West African nation's three major operators, namely Sonatel, Free Senegal and Expresso Senegal. Initial roaming trials carried out in the Diourbel region saw a 100% success rate for the transfer of calls and SMS between networks, though the regulator admitted that some technical issues relating to mobile data traffic have yet to be resolved.
Lyca Mobile, which describes itself as the world's largest mobile virtual network operator, has signed a multi-year extension to its existing, decade-long sponsorship deal with English top-flight soccer club West Ham United. Earlier this summer, West Ham won the UEFA Europa Conference League, the club's first piece of major(ish) silverware for more than 40 years.
— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading
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