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CABLE WORLD STAFF
AT&T Corp. and British Telecommunications Plc moved one step closer to getting clearance for a key joint venture after the European Commission outlined conditions for the alliance.
The Commission ruled their venture in international telecommunication services could go ahead if AT&T sold its U.K. long-distance subsidiary and distance itself from British carrier Telewest Plc.
The partnership, which still needs regulatory approval in the U.S., is expected to create a carrier that can compete effectively in international services against MCI Worldcom Inc. and Global One, a venture of Deutsche Telekom AG, France Telecom SA and Sprint Corp. AT&T plans to combine its international networks to offer large corporations telecom services around the globe.
The joint venture with BT is the central component of AT&T's international strategy while it focuses most of its attention on the U.S. market and digesting its recent $48 billion acquisition of cable MSO Tele-Communications Inc.
While AT&T concentrates on launching phone service and using TCI for Internet businesses in the U.S., the BT alliance appears ready to scramble the international market.
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