Japan’s NTT considers taking mobile unit private in $38bn deal

Japan’s Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT) said it is looking at taking full control of its wireless carrier business in a deal that could be worth approximately 4 trillion yen ($38bn) and pave the way for price cuts in the mobile phone industry. The buyout will be discussed at a board meeting on Tuesday, NTT said in a statement after the Nikkei newspaper reported the deal. The value of the 34 percent of NTT Docomo Inc’s shares not owned by NTT is based on a 30 percent premium to Monday’s closing price, Reuters calculations showed. The move came as Japan’s new prime minister Yoshihide Suga launched a fresh attempt to push the country’s three biggest mobile network providers into cutting fees. The government is NTT’s biggest shareholder, with a 34 percent stake in the company. At $38bn, the deal would be the fifth-largest M transaction involving a Japanese company, Refinitiv data showed. It would also be the largest-ever offer for a Japanese company, according to Nikkei. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">