With the 15 October deadline for the sale of 49% of government-owned national PTO Hondutel fast approaching, state officials are waiting to receive expressions of interest from potential bidders, Honduran newspaper La Tribuna reports. Earlier this week it emerged that the Commission for Public-Private Partnership (COALIANZA) will be responsible for selecting a strategic partner for Hondutel, which urgently needs a cash infusion to shore up its ailing fixed line and internet operations.
As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, ongoing negotiations to sell a stake in the state-owned carrier had apparently ground to a halt after would-be investors rejected a government proposal to buy a 49% stake in the fixed line incumbent, favouring a controlling 51% stake. A number of companies are interested in investing in the debt-stricken telco include LR Group (Israel), Rhino (USA) and a Guatemala-China consortium (FIDECO/Datang Mobile). A number of other firms from Uruguay and Italy have also thrown their hats into the ring, the paper said.