Orange strenuously denied any discussions regarding a merger with Deutsche Telekom were taking place, after media reports claimed a tie-up was being considered by the German operator group.
Earlier today (27 November) German newspaper Handelsblatt reported senior management at Deutsche Telekom were exploring the possibility of a merger deal with Orange.
The publication’s sources claimed Deutsche Telekom’s plans were at an early stage, but had been discussed by board members.
It added the two companies had a history of partnering on initiatives [1] and there had been meetings between senior executives earlier in the year. Previously the companies were joint owners of UK operator EE.
Details on the potential make-up of a deal or rationale behind the move were sparse.
In a statement to Mobile World Live, an Orange representative said: “There is no project or discussion about a Deutsche Telekom-Orange merger.”
Deutsche Telekom declined to comment.
[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/orange-dt-unveil-smart-speaker-5g-gathers-pace/
