Malacopol: AIG can sell AKTA at a profit

Autor: Adrian Seceleanu 13.04.2011

American investment fund AIG will be able to sell cable operator Digital Cable Systems cable operator (AKTA) at a profit, having paid for it 45 million euros in 2007, with residents of rural areas and small towns, where the company's network is, expected to spend more on telecom services.

"I am sure in a few years' time AIG will be able to make a profitable exit from DCS," says Dinu Malacopol, CEO of AKTA. At present, prices paid per subscriber, a method used for evaluating operators, are more than three times lower than in 2007.

Malacopol believes the recovery of the economy, as well as using the agricultural potential, among others, can bring higher revenues for villages and small towns where cash is now in very short supply. "The rise of international prices of agricultural products is to Romania's advantage and will ultimately be capitalised on one way or another. When we take our status as a farming country seriously, things will go very well for us."

The head of DCS is optimistic because giants RCS and Romtelecom do not have a strong presence in those areas yet, with the degree of data and phone services usage being very low. For instance, out of AKTA's 180,000 subscribers, only 50,000 have bought both Internet and a landline subscription.