Handset business stake worth at least US$2b also draws interest from Verizon, Vodafone
Huawei Technologies, the largest mainland manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, is attracting interest from global industry players such as AT&T, the largest phone company in the United States, and private equity firms including Blackstone on its sale of more than 50 per cent of its handset unit, sources said.
They said the sale would fetch at least US$2 billion.
Other strategic players that are circling the unit include Verizon Communications, the second-largest US phone company, and Vodafone, the world's largest mobile phone company, while private equity interest is coming from TPG and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, among others, the sources said.
Private equity funds could have an advantage over the phone companies, one market observer said.
'What's the point of tying up with just one carrier when you can tie up with more?' he said.
