Tiscali and Sky - A done deal?

[SkyUser]

A member over on SkyUser has reported in the forums, that he was told yesterday, Sky now own Tiscali (Broadband UK) and that the deal had been completed on 15th January.

It has not been confirmed or denied, and may just be hearsay on that employees' behalf.

Although, the conversation from the agent, seems to back it up.

"They sounded pleased that they were now the largest ISP
in the UK. Nearing the end of telephone conversation just general chitchat I have no reason to think that person is lying I do not know them personally and there is nothing to gain"

Read more here.

[kmount]

Seems interesting, but imho fairly unlikely that a sales rep would know before a press release.

Shall wait with eager anticipation.

[SkyUser]

Originally Posted by Chaz

Seems interesting, but imho fairly unlikely that a sales rep would know before a press release.

Normally I would agree, however, it wasn't a sales rep, which makes it even more interesting.

May just be hearsay as originally quoted.

[kmount]

The forum thread from skyuser implies that the person told the customer that sky are now the biggest broadband provider in the UK ... that's not true though?

[SkyUser]

If Sky added Tiscali's customers to its user base, in my eyes they would then become the third largest, behind BT and VM with 3,566,000 customers.

What is weird, is there is no announcements anywhere. Something as big as this would have leaked by now I guess.

[kmount]

Yeah, reading the post again which isn't easy to decipher I think it's his (the posters) interpretation that Sky would be the largest.

I agree, it's the kind of thing that would make big movements in the water.

Mind you, you never know; it might be excited agents getting a little beyond the progress perhaps being made.

[Justin]

I would be shocked if the deal didn't happen sooner or later, just a question of when I'd say not if.

[sid]

Carphone Warehouse plotting Tiscali bid - Telegraph

(c&p)

Carphone Warehouse plotting Tiscali bid

Carphone Warehouse is considering a last minute bid for Tiscali's UK broadband business after withdrawing from talks last year.



By Mark Kleinman, Amanda Andrews and Rupert Neate
Last Updated: 6:04AM BST 30 Mar 2009


Carphone Warehouse plotting Tiscali bid


It follows the collapse of negotiations between the Italian company and BSkyB, in which the satellite broadcaster would have become the country's third-largest provider of residential broadband with 3.6m customers. There is also speculation that BSkyB is considering renewing talks.
Carphone's TalkTalk home broadband division hopes it will be able snap up Tiscali for a bargain basement price. Tiscali is believed to be on the verge of collapsing into administration.
Tiscali was suspended from the Italian stock exchange earlier this month after it warned that it will not be able to meet interest payments. It had been planning to use the proceeds from the sale to pay down its €601m (£558m) debt.
The internet company had originally put its UK business up for sale for about £500m, but it is understood that BSkyB only offered to pay about £250m.
Tiscali's UK business has been haemorrhaging customers for sometime. It had just 1,774,000 in September, down from 1,838,000 in the previous quarter.
Last Friday Tiscali's creditors gave it a stay of execution by agreeing to suspended interest payments on its debts. But analysts believe it will fall into administration if it does not find a buyer for the UK business soon.
If it does collapse its customers would be sold to another provider at a discount price.
Mr Dunstone has publicly said that he is considering splitting TalkTalk, Carphone's fixed-line and broadband business, from its retail stores, which will convert into Best Buy Europe, a new joint venture with American electronics group. Best Buy Europe plan to open four or five stores in the UK this summer, before expanding to about 100 across Europe by 2012.

[jay1lk]

If Carphone Warehouse takeover. I'm off. There talk talk landline service was appalling.....