MANAGUA, Nicaragua-Privatization of state-owned telephone companies is moving ahead in the two Central American countries hit hardest by last year’s Hurricane Mitch.
Reuters reported three applications have been submitted for the sale of a 40-percent stake the Nicaraguan Telecommunications Co. (Enitel), and six companies are interested in the 51-percent stake in the Honduran Telecommunications Co. (Hondutel).
The applicants for Enitel are France Telecom; Inteltec, a U.S.-Mexican consortium; and Grupo Telefonico de Mexico, a consortium of mainly Mexican investors. No details on participants in second two consortia are yet available. The sale is scheduled for May.
Absent from the list of applicants for Enitel is Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex), which bid in the last attempt to sell the company. The sale has been repeatedly delayed since 1995.
Telmex is, however, active in the Honduras sell-off. Telmex, along with France Telecom and Alcatel are said be part of the list of six companies interested in Hondutel, according to Reuters. Legislators in the companies have valued Hondutel at $1.2 billion.
Neither sale includes a wireless license. However, both countries currently each have only one cellular operation, so a future license sale is likely.
The larger companies traditionally the most active in Central America include BellSouth Corp., France Telecom, Millicom and Telefonica Internacional.
BellSouth is a 49-percent stakeholder in the cellular operation in Nicaragua, while Millicom is the 25-percent stakeholder, along with Motorola Inc. (50 percent) in the Celtel carrier in Honduras.
