Confusion Reigns About The Future Of The UK 3 Network

While recent events, publicity and general feeling in the UK have been leaning towards a period of greater investment into the 3 network by parent company Hutchinson Whampoa, these impressions were cast into doubt last night with news that the company’s Italian division, 3 Italia, is up for sale. While Hutchinson have always expressed an interest in hiving off the Italian arm of the network (narrowly failing to float the business on the Italian stock market in 2006), what does this mean for the future?

The fact that 3 Italia has been up for sale for some time has been common knowledge in the industry, with the likes of Vodafone having expressed an interest in the past, but there has always been a nagging suspicion that the UK arm would be next. However, the recent launch of a broadband service in the UK, together with increased advertising and promotional spending had convinced many that the UK division was being groomed to play a major part in the company’s mobile phone network operations.

It will be interesting to see what levels of interest are expressed with regards to the Italian business, and if any of the major European players try to tie in the UK division to give someone a more rounded European exposure. As you would expect from such a delicate sales operation, Hutchinson Whampoa are staying silent on the matter, preferring to wait until levels of interest are presented regarding the Italian sale.

Watch this space……