Telecom New Zealand Sells Entire 90% Stake In Telecom Samoa

Telecom New Zealand today confirmed the sale of its 90% shareholding in Telecom Samoa Cellular Limited to Digicel (Samoa) Limited (a subsidiary of the Digicel Group), while the Government of Samoa retains its 10% stake.

Telecom Samoa Cellular Limited operates a TDMA mobile network with 33,000 customers and is currently upgrading to a new GSM network due to be launched later this year. Telecom New Zealand continues to operate a CDMA network in New Zealand, and its own TDMA 025 network is due to be decommissioned on the 31st March 2007.

Telecom New Zealand General Manager International Anthony Briscoe said Telecom welcomed the sale following an offer from Digicel (Samoa) Limited.

"Telecom has had an interest in Telecom Samoa Cellular Limited since we established the company in a joint venture with the Government of Samoa in 1996. We worked together to build the network and began offering service from July 1997," Mr Briscoe said.

"Since that time the demand for telecommunications services in Samoa has grown significantly with an increasing number of carriers entering the market."