National Grid in Brazil telecom bid

THE NATIONAL GRID is in talks with Sprint, the US telecoms operator, on a joint bid to run a Brazilian telephone network. If successful in the bid, due this week, the $1bn consortium would compete with the privatised national operator Telebras.

The Grid has chalked up a success with Energis, its UK telecommunications subsidiary, and is keen to expand internationally in both telecommunications and electricity. Brazil's market is particularly attractive, not only because of the country's economic importance, but also because it has only 10 telephone lines per 100 people, compared with about 17 in Argentina and 52 in Britain.