Interest in WiMAX players grows amid possible DiGi M&A

by **Cals** Tue 10 Sep 2013, 08:06

Published: Tuesday September 10, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Tuesday September 10, 2013 MYT 7:41:49 AM
Interest in WiMAX players grows amid possible DiGi M&A

PETALING JAYA: Shares of WiMAX operators rose on active trading yesterday amid speculation of a possible rise in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the telecommunications space, with DiGi.Com Bhd seen as possibly being on the hunt to buyout such companies.
StarBizWeek had reported over the weekend that large telco operator needs for wireless spectrum could become the basis for such M&A activity. The report quoted analysts who had speculated DiGi.Com Bhd could be looking at buying out WiMAX players primarily for their wireless spectrum.
Shares of Green Packet Bhd, the major owner of WiMAX operator Packet One Networks Sdn Bhd, rose the most, gaining by 7 sen or 21% to close at 40 sen, with 31 million shares traded.
The shares of REDtone International Bhd and YTL Power International Bhd, the owners of the other two WiMAX operators in the country, rose marginally by 1.2% and 3.13% respectively.
A dealer noted that he wasn’t surprised that Green Packet shares rose the most amid the M&A speculation, considering that the company had already declared some time ago its intention to seek possible “strategic alternatives”.
Last October, following press reports that Green Packet had received bids for its 61% stake in P1, Green Packet had confirmed that it was exploring strategic alternatives for P1 “including the possibility of merger, consolidation, to sell a stake and other options to maximise shareholders value.”
The report by StarBizWeek had highlighted that major telco’s such as Maxis and Celcom have been quick to ink collaboration deals with other recipients of the valuable 2600 MHz wireless spectrum band, leaving DiGi with the least amount of access to that spectrum.
DiGi also has only a fraction of the 900 MHz spectrum that both Celcom and Maxis have.