Charlie Ergen, the chairman of US satellite TV giant DISH Network, has reportedly contacted Deutsche Telekom (DT) to express his company’s interest in acquiring its controlling stake in T-Mobile US, Bloomberg reports. While Ergen has yet to make a formal offer, or hire a bank to advise it on the potential deal, the report said that the renewed talks were borne out of Ergen’s desire to persuade DT not to reach an agreement with fellow suitor, Iliad of France, before the end of the year.
Last month DT rejected Iliad’s USD33 per share bid – worth around USD15 billion – for a 56.6% stake in T-Mobile, and the French telco is now seeking a partner to help it make a higher offer. The German firm later clarified that it was open to offers that valued it at USD35 per share. It is understood that Ergen, who has spoken to DT executives regarding a potential tie-up numerous times in recent years, is keen to wait until the conclusion of this November’s AWS-3 spectrum auction before making a formal offer.