Local Loop Bid Set To Resurface
News The Guardian reports that Earthlease will make a formal bid once BT has completed the demerger of O2, its wireless division. Earthlease had an £8bn offer turned down a few months ago, but it is now understood to be prepared to increase this offer.
[September 24, 2001, 15:18]
Oftel May Back Local Loop Bid
News Industry watchdog Oftel has said that it could support Earthlease's attempts to buy BT's local loop, if it was in the best interests of the consumer. Oftel refused to confirm that it had been in talks with Earthlease on Thursday, as has been widely...
[August 2, 2001, 17:22]
BT Warned Against Selling Off Its Networks
News This followed an earlier bid from Earthlease, a group financed by a group of US financial institutions, for BT's local loop -- the part of the network between local exchanges and individual homes. BT later rejected Earthlease's bid.
[August 8, 2001, 14:25]
BT Denies Network Sell-off Rumours
News The bid was turned down, as was an £8bn offer for just BT's local exchanges from financial consortium Earthlease. If successful, both Earthlease and WestLB would lease network capacity back to BT, and also to rival operators.
[January 7, 2002, 12:23]
Latest Bid Could See BT Split Up
News It emerged last week that BT had also received an offer of £8bn for its "local loop", the part of the network between individual houses and offices and the local exchange, from Earthlease -- a company backed by a group of American banks.
[August 7, 2001, 12:05]
Rupert Goodwins' Diary
Blog Earthlease, a bank-led consortium, has put 8 billion quid on the table and offered to take BT's copper off its hands. If it had to rent the lines back, as Earthlease proposes, this looks a lot dodgier.
[August 3, 2001, 15:55]
BT Cuts Off Network Sale Speculation
News Another consortium, called Earthlease, had its £8bn offer for BT's local exchange business rejected last year. BT's new chief executive declared on Monday that there is no chance that the company will sell its fixed-line network.
[January 29, 2002, 11:31]
