Verizon Communications has expressed interest in buying Canadian operator Wind Mobile from Vimpelcom, people familiar with the situation told Bloomberg. Several suitors have approached Wind, including fellow Canadian firms. Wind, Mobilicity and Public Mobile acquired spectrum in 2008 but have struggled to gain market share against established operators.
Keen to stimulate competition, Canada relaxed foreign ownership rules last year and has now blocked incumbent Telus's attempt to buy Mobilicity for CAD 380 million. Public Mobile is being taken over for an undisclosed price by Thomvest Seed Capital and Cartesian Capital. Wind had nearly 602,000 subscribers at the end of March. Elsewhere, two industry sources told the Globe and Mail that a combined Verizon-Wind Mobile would take part in an upcoming auction to become a powerful fourth carrier to compete with Bell Canada, Telus and Rogers. Neither Wind nor Verizon would comment on the matter.
