BT is expected to make a decision on whether to bid for UK mobile operator O2 or EE before Christmas, said Orange CEO Stephane Richard at a conference in Paris, Reuters reports. id “BT has its own calendar. You should know more a few days before Christmas,” Richard said BT is in talks to buy either Telefonica’s O2 or EE, half owned by Orange and Deutsche Telekom, to create a fixed and mobile operator.
Separately, the Financial Times writes that Orange and Deutsche Telekom have said they are open to selling the business to a trade buyer or to private equity companies that are still interested in the business. Analysts believe that BT will decide quickly as alternative plans to offer its own mobile service will need considerable work to meet a targeted launch by March. Anal Either deal is expected to spark similar moves by rivals such as Vodafone and Sky, which are also looking to expand their services to offer broadband and mobile services.
