Ukraine MTS/Vodafone branding deal mooted

Russia’s MTS may purchase the right to use the brand of a major international telco such as Vodafone in Ukraine.

Quoting sources at the company, Vedomosti says that by doing so the connection between MTS Ukraine and its Russian parent company would hopefully be less obvious.

It adds that the idea of re-branding emerged over a year ago and negotiations with Virgin failed to yield results.

However, there is a possibility that an agreement could be reached with Vodafone.

MTS already has a wider deal with Vodafone in place. Dating back to 2008 and due to expire at the end of this year, it allows the companies to share marketing and technological expertise, as well as jointly purchase equipment.

Vodafone launched a programme in 2001 that has seen its brand used in a number of markets for no additional investment on the company’s part.

In Central and Eastern Europe, they include Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia and the three Baltic Republics.

Vodafone eyes Portugal’s Cabovisão

Vodafone has emerged as one of several parties interested in buying the Portuguese cable operator Cabovisão.

Quoting two people familiar with talks between the parties,Bloomberg reports that the company, which Altice has promised to divest as part of its acquisition of telecom assets in Portugal, is worth around €300 million.

It adds that talks about the possible sale of Cabovisão could go on for several months.

Vodafone is already active in Portugal, expanding its network to offer bundles of fixed and mobile services, including broadband and TV.

Significantly, its CEO Vittorio Colao said last year that the company was interested in acquiring cable assets in Portugal.

Under the terms of its €7.4 billion deal to buy the Portuguese assets of Portugal Telecom last year, Altice was required by the regulators to sell both Cabovisão and ONI.

Just this week, the European Commission gave the go-ahead to Altice/Portugal Telecom deal.

Cabovisão was acquired by Altice from Canada’s Cogeco Cable for €45 million in March 2012.

Vodafone takes over 75% of KDG

Vodafone has reached an acceptance rate of  76.48% in its voluntary public tender offer for Kabel Deutschland Holding AG, the telco has confirmed.

Kabel Deutschland (KDG) shareholders that have yet to accept the offer have until midnight CET on September 30th. Vodafone’s offer values Kabel Deutschland at €87 per share.

With the mobile operator only just making it over the required 75% acceptance rate there remains uncertainty as to what the next move of the minority group might be.

One school of thought is that they take advantage of German laws designed to protect minority interests in the expectation that Vodafone pays a premium on the €87 to buy them out.

Only days before the offer closed hedge fund Elliott Asset Management doubled his stake to 10.9%.

Vodafone launches public takeover for KDG

Vodafone has officially launched a public takeover offer for Kabel Deutschland Holding AG.

The offer price is for €84.50 per KDH share in cash plus the payment of the proposed €2.50 dividend announced by KDH on 20 February 2013, delivering a total value of €87.00 per KDH share.

Vodafone Group Plc  has launched a voluntary public takeover offer for the entire share capital of KDH through its indirect wholly owned subsidiary Vodafone Vierte Verwaltungsgesellschaft mb following approval by the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht.

The acceptance period ends at midnight CET on September 11, 2013.

As of today, Vodafone has purchased 3,750,462 KDH shares, representing approximately 4.2 per cent. of KDH’s total share capital.

----- From BroadbandTVnew.com 

http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2013/07/30/vodafone-launches-public-takeover-for-kdg/