Telefónica close to Hansenet takeover
By Robert Briel
November 1, 2009 13.50 UK
17.00 Update: Telefónica has confirmed press reports that negotiations with Telecom Italia to buy its German subsidiary Hansenet are close to being finalised.
“We are at the final stage (of the Hansenet purchase), the pricing,” Julio Linares, Telefónica CEO, said in a meeting with journalists.
Hansenet counted 2.34 million broadband customers at the end of 2008 in Germany. With the acquisition, Telefónica hopes to better compete with Deutsche Telekom. The operator also has its own IPTV service under the Telecom Italia brand Alice TV.
Telefónica operates a network infrastructure linked to 1.3 million German households as a wholesaler to other telecom operators and also owns the mobile phone business O2 in Germany.
According to German newspaper reports, it is also looking to acquire United Internet, another German ISP.
Separately, Telefonica president Cesar Alierta has confirmed the telco to be in advanced talks to purchase 20% in Prisa’s DTH platform Digital+. Alierta declared himself to be unhappy with Vivendi with who Telefonica had previously been into Digital+.
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