Iliad not interested in Bouygues Telecom

Iliad not interested in Bouygues Telecom

Capacity Europe day 2 – France’s Iliad is not interested in acquiring rival French player Bouygues Telecom, the company’s owner told local reporters this week.

During a radio interview, Xavier Niel, founder and majority shareholder at Iliad, said: “We are not buyers. The market’s consolidation cannot happen without us so there will be no consolidation.”

Iliad was speculated to have made a bid for Bouygues Telecom earlier this year in a bid to consolidate the market in France, but these discussions were soon brought to a standstill.

Bouygues Telecom is France’s third largest mobile player in a four-strong market, and has been seen as a takeover target after it failed to secure the acquisition of larger rival SFR in March 2014.

Orange dropped a bid for Bouygues Telecom in early July following reports that Bouygues Telecom was seeking too high a price.

Orange reportedly tried to bring Iliad into the talks but the parties could not agree on terms. However, the hurdles Iliad has been facing in its bid for T-Mobile US has sparked rumours the firm may again be looking at a French acquisition.

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