Telia sells mobile company in Slovenia

Telia sells mobile company in Slovenia Telia's partly owned subsidiary, Telia Overseas, is selling its 29-percent stake in the Slovenian mobile company Si.Mobil to Mobilkom Austria. Telia Overseas will record a capital gain of approximately SEK 450 million on the divestment. In 1998, Telia Overseas, in association with local partners, was awarded a GSM license in Slovenia. Telia Overseas has totally invested SEK 149 million in Si.Mobil. Si.Mobil started commercial operations in April 1999 and had about 130,000 customers as of year-end 2000. "The fact that we created substantial value in Si.Mobil in a short time is very positive," says Per Pedersen, president of Telia Overseas. "This transaction is in line with Telia Overseas' strategy to develop companies in our portfolio and then capitalise on the value that is created." Boris Nemsic, CEO of Mobilkom Austria, the mobile communications subsidiary of the Telekom Austria Group, on the company´s stake in Si.Mobil: "The acquisition of the Telia shares and shares from local partners is an important strategic step that supports the Central European strategy of both the Telekom Austria Group and the Telecom Italia Group. Our participation in Si.Mobil has created a new European mobile communications bridge between Vienna, Zagreb, Ljubljana and Trieste". The sale of Si.Mobil is part of Telia's strategy to focus on mobile networks in the Nordic region, mobile portals in selected countries in Europe, international carrier business in Europe and the United States, and broadband services in Sweden. Telia Overseas is owned by Telia (65%), Ratos (9%), Skandia (13%) and Orkla (13%). Further information to journalists, please contact: Per Pedersen, President Telia Overseas, phone: +46 70 549 96 05 Anders Ekman, vice President Telia Overseas, phone +46 8 456 16 43 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/02/27/20010227BIT01100/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/02/27/20010227BIT01100/bit0002.pdf