LONDON-Irish telecom company Eircom confirmed it is in preliminary discussions regarding the sale of all or part of its mobile subsidiary, Eircell. International press reports said Eircom is talking with Vodafone Group plc about a possible sale.
Eircell, Ireland’s largest mobile operator, has more than 1 million subscribers and is valued at around $3.5 billion. Esat Digifone, owned 50.5 percent by British Telecom and 49.5 percent by Norway’s Telenor, is the only other wireless carrier currently providing service in Ireland.
A third operator, Meteor, partially owned by U.S.-based Western Wireless, plans to begin offering service by year-end. Additional competition in the Irish wireless market will be introduced through third-generation licenses.
