Portugal Telecoms (PT) is "just one of the many growth opportunities Telkom is being approached about," Telkom said in a one-line media statement issued today.
This was in response to media reports indicating the fixed-line operator and partners are in talks to bid on a stake in PT.
Another option that would make sense, says Richard Hurst, an analyst with BMI-TechKnowledge, is for Telkom to partner with PT in its African operations.
Expansion plans?
PT`s African operations include stakes in Morocco`s Medi Telecom, Angola`s Unitel, Kenya Postel Tel Directories and Botswana-based Mascom. In January, PT acquired a 51% stake in a mobile operator in Congo that was granted GSM 900 and GSM 1800 licences, but is not in operation, Hurst says.
The potential partnership with PT offers Telkom an immediate footprint into Africa, says Hurst. Telkom has expressed its intention to expand into Africa, and partnering with PT facilitates its entry into Portuguese-speaking regions of Africa, he says.
Hurst notes that Morocco is a well-developed market with a population of 31.6 million, 1.3 million fixed-line subscribers and 1.2 million mobile subscribers. The country also has well-developed mobile high-speed DSL services.
Angola, Hurst says, has a population of 14.5 million, 98 000 fixed-line subscribers and 1.2 million mobile subscribers. It presents a green-fields opportunities for Telkom. Angola is also a potential landing port for Telkom Namibia for the SAT3 cable, he says.
Hurst also suggests Telkom looks at further opportunities in emerging markets outside Africa. An example is South America, where Hurst says there are plenty of good opportunities.
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