AT&T expanding in Europe?
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that AT&T is considering an expansion into the European markets by a possible acquisition of a European carrier. Negotiations may be already in progress but the deal will be closed by the end of the year only. That is… if it happens at all! The Journal’s sources say Dutch company Royal KPN NV and the UK’s Everything Everywhere” are on AT&T’s radar.” The provider has also singled out Germany as a potential market, sources said.
Pros and cons of AT&T’s European expansion plans. On one hand, “conquering” Europe would enable AT&T to quickly upgrade network technology and introduce more profitable pricing schemes. It will also gain larger growth than it currently has in the US. Let’s admit that European carriers are slow in rolling out 4G networks, and still largely rely on text and voice call fees, rather than the data-centric plans offered by most US providers. On the other hand, however, there’s a risk in that AT&T shall have to face a strong competitive market, and operate within an entirely different set of industry regulations.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
