AT&T-Philips Telecommunications has responded to criticisms that its consortium bidding to take control of Compagnie Generale des Constructions Telephoniques included partners that were ultimately foreign-owned and therefore breached the 80% French rule (CI No 644) by dropping the unit trusts managed by Morgan Guaranty Trust Co and Algemene Bank Nederland from its consortium and instead bringing in Sagem SA, the majority shareholder in its existing French partner SAT, and Omnium Financier de Paris, which is owned by Total. Each will take 20% of the AT&T-Philips consortium.
