DoCoMo weighs up $52bn Voicestream bid

NEWS Japanese mobile phone company DoCoMo is considering a $52bn bid for US wireless operator Voicestream, just days after reports linked Deutsche Telekom with a $30bn bid for the same company. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, DoCoMo may join forces with existing Voicestream shareholder, Hutchison Whampoa, to take a 49 per cent holding in the firm. Earlier this week DoCoMo and Dutch telco KPN signed a partnership agreement with Hutchison, which will allow the two companies to jointly bid for 3G licences in Europe. According to US reports, a takeover bid by either of the state-owned firms could be hampered by protests from US politicians who oppose the sale of American companies to foreign owned firms. Both companies were unavailable for comment.