By Ian Jones, 2 October 2001 09:55
NEWS Vivendi chief Jean-Marie Messier is at loggerheads with the French finance ministry after refusing to hand over any money for its 3G wireless network licence. Vivendi - which owns the mobile operator SFR - says it is withholding the first E619m (£383m) tranche of the licence fee until the government acknowledges that the overall £3.35bn fee it will pay is now disproportionately high in the light of current market conditions. The situation is extremely embarrassing for finance minister Laurent Fabius, coming on the back of the government's failed 'beauty contest' for four 3G licences. Only France Telecom and SFR currently own licences following several high-profile withdrawals from other operators. The process is due to resume in January.
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