3 Willing To Pay EUR1.4bn For Orange Austria, Divide Surplus Assets With A1

3, Austria's smallest mobile network operator, appears willing to pay EUR1.4bn for close rival Orange Austria in order to increase its market share and extend its footprint beyond key population centres. It will also sell excess spectrum and network infrastructure assets to market leader a1 Mobilkom in order to overcome anti-competition concerns. 3, which has operations in selected European markets, has largely steered clear of expansion through consolidation, preferring to focus on its niche, high-end, data-centric 3G services. CFW therefore does not see the Austrian merger as a prelude to further deals for the 3 Group elsewhere in Europe.

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