SMC chief confirms talks with Telstra for mobile venture

THE SAN Miguel conglomerate is in talks with Telstra Corp. Ltd., Australia’s leading mobile phone operator, for a potential partnership in the highly competitive telecommunications business.

San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang confirmed in a text message on Friday that the conglomerate was in discussions with Telstra for such potential partnership. “(We’re) in talks with them,” he said.

This followed Telstra’s regulatory filing on Friday that it was “considering an investment in a
wireless joint venture in the Philippines with San Miguel.” Telstra further said that financing was being sought in relation to this project.

“We are in discussions in relation to these matters. However, no agreements have been reached in relation to these matters and there is no certainty that this will occur,” Telstra said.

SMC recently consolidated control of telecommunications unit Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc. – which to date offers only high-speed Internet services but has yet to roll out voice services – by buying out its Qatar-based partner Ooredoo, formerly Qatar Telecom.

Telstra has long been interested to enter the Philippine mobile phone business through a partnership with SMC but could not enter into formal discussions while Qatar Telecom was in the picture, industry sources said.