Another concern is that PCS still needs to raise about $3 billion to fulfill its capital-spending plans, and the markets these days are not well-disposed toward telecom offerings.
With TCI now on board, AT&T can add cable TV, high-speed Internet access and local phone service to its telecom offerings — once it spends a few billion more to rev up the TCI network, too.
As more and more countries abandon government-run telecom systems, offering cellular network licenses to the highest-bidding private investors and without the burden of navigating pre-established bureaucratic chains, new towers are going up at a furious pace.
It added that nine of 10 telecom networks offering Blackberry services were in the process of making it possible for authorities to carry out intercepts.
Jonas got into telecom by offering cut-rate international "call-back" service and carved out a niche with campaigns like 1-800-SCREW-ATT 1-800-SCREW-ATT 1-800-SCREW-ATT 1-800-SCREW-ATT
Jack Grubman, a Salomon Smith Barney star analyst, even sat in on board meetings at WorldCom, a deeply corrupt telecoms firm, offering advice.
But cable requires huge capital investment, especially now that it has to compete with telecoms companies offering television services.
With Orange under its arm, it would be well on the way to becoming Europe's leading integrated telecoms carrier, offering fixed-line, Internet and wireless services in all the main markets.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Frances powerful minister of economy, finance and industry, said he will establish the fund with the proceeds from France Telecoms stock offering.
Step one was the May 23 burial of the four-year-old non-compete agreements between RIL and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, promoted by Mukesh's estranged younger brother Anil, which prevented RIL from offering telecom services.
