HELSINKI, Finland-The Finnish government said it is in negotiations to sell its 52.9-percent stake in Sonera, the former state telecom monopoly, which operates the country’s largest mobile-phone network.
Speculation has circulated for months that Sonera must take a partner to compete in the increasingly competitive European wireless arena.
The carrier is currently bidding for a third-generation license in Germany through the Group 3G consortium, which also includes Spain’s Telefonica.
Potential suitors for Sonera include KPN Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone Group plc and France Telecom’s Orange subsidiary.
Sonera’s SmartTrust wireless software encryption system and its Zed wireless Internet portal, both of which it is marketing to carriers around the world, make the operator an attractive target, said analysts.
The Financial Times reported a Sonera acquisition would likely value the company at more than $35 billion.
