Orange Romania has inaugurated its own fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband networks in the Damaroaia neighbourhood of Bucharest, Pascani (Iasi county) and Apahida (Cluj county), reports local paper Ziarul Financiar. Market sources believe this is the first stage in the company’s plan to deploy the network in 14 counties by the end of 2020. Orange Group revealed in July that it intended to begin building its own fibre-optic infrastructure after growing unhappy with the rising cost of accessing Telekom Romania’s fixed network.
In other news, Ziarul Financiar claims the United Group, controlled by the US-British investment fund BC Partners, has joined the data room set up by Barclays for investors interested in acquiring Telekom Romania. The other companies considered potential buyers for Telekom Romania’s assets are cable company RCS&RDS and Orange Romania, while Bulgarian businessman Spas Roussev is also thought to be mulling a bid.