Carlos Alberto Nunes, GVT vice president for regulatory affairs, says the CLEC expects Alcatel to give the green light for acquisition of Intelig before the end of the current year. A deal must be approved in 2002 because the board doesn?t want the competitive long-distance carrier to appear on GVT?s balance sheet next year. Alcatel is Intelig?s main creditor. The deal is strategic for GVT, he says, because it opens the door to the domestic long-distance and international segments. For Intelig, it?s a chance to enter the local market. ?Intelig has strong brand equity, fair penetration and a substantial share of the long-distance market,? he argues. ?In addition, its network is complementary to GVT?s. Moreover, acquisition of Intelig by GVT is in the national interest because it will fuel competition, especially in Regions 1 and 3, where Intelig has local licenses.? GVT has asked Anatel for permission to offer local service outside its current area (the South, Center-West and parts of the North) and expects that to come through early in the new year.
M&A
