VIENNA (Reuters) - Telekom Austria's majority shareholder does not rule out a further capital increase to fund European acquisitions, according to a newspaper interview published on Thursday.
Mexico's America Movil wants to use the business, in which it bought around 60 percent last year, for further expansion into central and eastern Europe, though Telekom Austria told Reuters last month it had little room to buy new assets.
America Movil's Chief Financial Officer Carlos Garcia Moreno told Austrian magazine News on Thursday he expected several years of consolidation in the European telecommunication market.
"If there are opportunities for Telekom (Austria) to grow through acquisitions, the situation will be judged accordingly and the topic (of a) capital increase will also be considered," he said.
America Movil fully supported a 1 billion euro (783 million pounds) capital increase conducted by Telekom Austria in November to reduce debt and invest in infrastructure.
Part of America Movil's strategy could be to bring together Telekom Austria businesses in different countries under a single brand, Moreno said. Telekom Austria operates in Austria, Macedonia, Belarus, Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia and Liechtenstein.
