INTERVIEW-Japan's DoCoMo to ease pace of M&A in Asia
TOKYO Oct 8 (Reuters) - Japan's top wireless operator NTT DoCoMo Inc (9437.T) is easing the pace of its M&A activity in Asia as it focuses on existing acquisitions, an executive said on Thursday.
DoCoMo, which controls half of Japan's mobile market, wants to first solidify its services with India's Tata Teleservices [TATASL.UL], where it has a 26 percent stake, and with Philippines Long Distance Telephone Co (TEL.PS), senior executive vice president Kiyoyuki Tsujimura said in an interview with Reuters.
"There is growth potential in regions like southeast Asia and there is still room for investing in operators there," he said. "But we can't keep on investing in one company after another."
"We have to stop and develop manpower and services first. Then we can invest in the next deal," he said.
Cash-rich DoCoMo is instead looking at investing in a content provider to help expand its share when it and rivals launch high-speed Long Term Evolution technology at the end of next year.
LTE allows uploads and downloads of movies, music and other data to mobile devices that are 15 to 20 times faster than now.
(Reporting by Mayumi Negishi and Reiji Murai; Editing by Joseph Radford)
((mayumi.negishi@thomsonreuters.com; +81-3-6441-1812; Reuters Messaging: mayumi.negishi.reuters.com@reuters.net))
((If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)) Keywords: DOCOMO/M&A
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