Bulgaria’s third GSM licensee has set April 2005 as the launch date for commercial service. The move will end more than a year of uncertainty surrounding the award of a wireless licence to the newly privatised BTC. The purchasers of a 65% stake in the telco, Vienna based Viva Ventures, have pledged to offer wireless services at lower rates than the existing operators.
In a separate, but related story Viva Ventures has announced it will delay the listing of BTC shares on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange. Under the signed sale contract, an IPO of 20% of BTC shares must start six months after the privatisation deal is closed.