Vodafone will acquire Spanish internet service provider Ya.com from Deutsche Telekon for 400 million euros (US$543.56 million), according to reports. Ya.com was created by Fon founder and internet entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky in 1999 before being sold to the T-Mobile parent for 550 million euros (US$747 million) in 2000. Deutsche Telekom put the company up for sale earlier this year, attracting interest from France Telecom, Orange, Telecom Italia and Jazztel, its original majority-owner.
Ya.com could help Vodafone develop a fixed-line broadband and telecoms strategy in Spain; with over 400,000 users the service is the fourth-largest broadband provider in the country. It is also amongst its largest portal plays, with some 20 sub-sites in MixMail.com, InforChat.com, Viajar.com, Supermotor.com, TiendaPC.com, Discoweb.com, OfertaDVD.com, Chueca.com, Finanzas.com and YaTV.com.
Spanish newspaper Expansion and The Independent reported the deal has been done while FT quoted a source as saying “the talks are concentrating”.