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BSkyB discussing UK mobile project
28 May 2012
BSkyB said to be in discussions with Everything Everywhere to launch UK mobile services
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BSkyB
Everything Everywhere
spectrum
Orange
T-Mobile
Satellite TV and broadband operator British Sky Broadcasting group is reported to be in discussions with Everything Everywhere, the owner of Orange and T-Mobile networks in the UK, to start a mobile operation, reported the Sunday Times, citing banking sources.
The report said that the firm, which is 39% owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, which owns the Sunday Times, is planning to bid for some of the spectrum that Everything Everywhere has put up for sale.
Everything Everywhere — the France Telecom-Orange/Deutsche Telekom joint venture for their UK businesses — has hired Morgan Stanley for the spectrum sale.
The report suggested that BSkyB, which already runs broadband services in the UK, may use the spectrum to add a mobile offer to its packages.
BSkyB may need to spend £3-£4 billion for a mobile phone network in the UK, the newspaper said, without citing sources.
One banker told the Sunday Times: “It costs nothing to take a look but building a network would not make sense. For one thing, investors would not like it.”
Both BSkyB and Morgan Stanley declined to comment to the Sunday Times on the development. GTB
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