RWE Telliance, the telecommunications unit of Essen-based electricity utility RWE AG seems to be getting closer to Mannesmann AG’s Mannesmann Mobilfunk GmbH cellular telecommunications operation: it has taken a 10.1% stake in Austrocom Telekommunikationsdienste GmbH, an Austrian company bidding for a cellular licence in that country. Austrocom is operated and 37.9%-owned by V-TEL Verbund-Telekom Service GmbH, and the Mannesmann Eurokom GmbH unit of Mannesmann already has a 25.1% stake in Austrocom. A decision on granting the licence is expected by the end of the year.
