France Telecom: Hopes for Role in Ghana Telecom Privatization

BARCELONA -(Dow Jones)- French telecommunications operator France Telecom said Friday it has submitted a proposal to Ghana's government to take a stake in the privatization of the country's national telecom carrier, adding that it is awaiting a decision.

"The Kenyan process was very simple, they opened the envelopes and they decide," said France Telecom Chief Executive Didier Lombard on the sidelines of a conference in Barcelona. "With Ghana it will be several steps."

The chief executive said he didn't know how long the process would take.

France Telecom said earlier Friday that a consortium it controls has been selected by the Kenyan government as preferred bidder for the acquisition of a 51% stake in Telkom Kenya for around EUR270 million.

In a statement, France Telecom said the transaction is planned to close by the end of the year.

France Telecom has teamed up with Alcazar Capital Ltd., which subscribed to a 15% stake in the consortium.

Lombard also said Friday he expects Apple's iPhone to sell well when it is launched in a couple of weeks in France. "I think the number will be very good," he said.

-By Adam Ewing, Dow Jones Newswires; +46 8 545 130 95; adam.ewing@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

Posted to the site on 16th November 2007