Bouygues out a trump card to win the bet on SFR
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The operator has entered into exclusive negotiations with Free him surrender its network and frequencies. The competition watchdog appreciate.
A turning point in the sales process SFR. In the columns of "Sunday Journal" Olivier Roussat, the CEO of Bouygues Telecom, said his group had entered into exclusive negotiations with Free to sell him a mobile network antennas over 15,000 frequencies, including those of 4G. The amount of the transaction, conditional on successful bid Bouygues Telecom SFR, totaled € 1.8 billion. "This turnkey solution should facilitate marriage with SFR and Vivendi reassure. The sale of our network Free will result in hundreds of millions of euros cost less per year for the new together, "he told the Sunday newspaper.
For three days and three nights, the negotiators on both sides (Maxime Lombardini and Thomas Reynaud side Free, Roussat Olivier, Richard Viel, Human major negotiations, and Jean-Paul Arzel, the boss of the network, on the other side ) discussed intensively to reach an agreement on the night of Friday to Saturday. Through interpersonal banker Rothschild Grégoire Chertok, they were able to discuss intelligently whereas, until now, they did not know when their shareholders superbly respective reference did not hide their mutual hostility.
Proposing to sell its network Free, Bouygues scores face Numericable to win the bet on SFR. The goal for Bouygues, is to show white paw competition watchdog. The group has indeed Wednesday unveiled its plan to buy SFR, which would increase from April to March the number of mobile operators in the French market. One possibility is debated, four years after the decision to bring a new player in this market, and two years after the opening service Free Mobile. "Arguably, this new element, which I was informed by the parties Saturday morning without even having all the details, is likely to encourage an examination may be faster, and everything simpler case, folder" declares the "Echos" Bruno Lasserre , President of the Competition Authority. A message sent directly to Vivendi, parent company of SFR.
"Simple and solid Remedy"
"We're selling the best 4G network in France, it is proof that we offer a very significant remedy. It is a simple and solid remedy - simply because we did not try to redraw a customized network, we preferred ours automatically transfer - and massive because it provides comprehensive coverage of the population. We wanted to ensure that production costs are low enough Free to balance the competition, "says his side Olivier Roussat the" Echos ".
Vivendi will make its choice in the coming days between the draft and the Numericable Bouygues, which is strongly driven by the Minister of Productive Recovery Arnaud Montebourg, but also Free and Orange, all excited to see the competition and reduce back to three operators. "Competition in the destruction will stop if we return to the three mobile operators while maintaining low prices. It does not stop if Numericable conquers SFR, since the concurrency four remain in the mobile, "said Arnaud Montebourg in the columns of" Parisian ".
A scenario that was not the last week. Vivendi, the situation has changed in the space of a few days. There is a week, Numericable was clear favorite in the process of acquisition of SFR. Offering Patrick Drahi was favored by Jean-René Fourtou, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Vivendi, which had even asked the board to "continue discussions in depth." Timeliness - supposedly - the supply of Numericable, simplicity and complementarity of activities were part of the flagship arguments that had seduced Vivendi. Since Wednesday evening and the official submission of the offer of Bouygues, nothing is the same, and the agreement between Bouygues and Free confirms the deal.
The group led by Martin Bouygues group has done things. It unveiled its offer publicly committed to maintaining employment - as Numericable - and investments in fiber - cheap government - and, more importantly, it now takes the lead on possible competition concerns with this turnkey project resale of its mobile network and some of its frequencies Free. "Bouygues has ticked a lot of boxes, recognize in the entourage of Vivendi. So it is impossible not to consider his offer fairly. The game is rebalanced. The two candidates are at least equal, whereas this was not the case a week ago. "Response in a few days.