WASHINGTON, D.C.—France Telecom and the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, are reportedly in discussions to purchase Austrian operator One for more than $1.9 billion.
Reuters reported the talks, citing a “source familiar with the matter” who added that any agreement is probably weeks away. France Telecom already owns a minority stake in One; other stakeholders include German utility E.on, Norwegian telecom company Telenor and Danish telecom company TDC.
D.C.-based Carlyle Group has made significant investments in international telecom businesses in the last couple of years, ranging from a Japanese wireless data provider to Verizon Communications Inc.’s local phone business in Hawaii.
