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Equant attracts predators?
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June 13, 2000: 7:18 a.m. ET
Data firm reported in talks with France Tel, Global Crossing, Deutsche Telekom
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LONDON (CNNfn) - Data network operator Equant is being courted by several potential suitors seeking a deal that could be worth $10 billion, according to published reports Tuesday.
Equant (PEQU), based in the Netherlands but with shares listed on the Paris exchange, operates a global network for high-speed data transmission. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday the firm was in talks about a deal with France Telecom (PFTE), but the French firm's right to exclusive negotiations has expired, exciting the interest of U.S. firm Global Crossing (GBLX: Research, Estimates). Separately, Reuters cited an industry source as saying that Deutsche Telekom (FDTE) was also interested in acquiring Equant.
The reports triggered a 9 percent jump in Equant shares to  49.91 in Paris Tuesday. France Telecom slid more than 2 percent to 159 while Deutsche Telekom stock rose more than 1 percent to 66.7 in Frankfurt.
The newspaper reported that France Telecom's negotiations were further advanced, saying that the former state-owned monopoly was hoping to add Equant's network to Global One, a provider of international business telecom services. Earlier this year France Telecom took full ownership of Global One, which started as a venture with Deutsche Telekom and Sprint that fell apart acrimoniously.
None of the companies cited by the Wall Street Journal commented on the talks. 
Equant was originally a communications network owned by 11 of the world's largest airlines. SITA, an information services company that the airlines still own, is Equant's largest shareholder, and reportedly wants any deal to be largely cash-based, which could be a hurdle to a transaction being concluded.
Geneva-based SITA listed shares in Equant in July 1998.
France Telecom recently pulled off the $40 billion purchase of U.K. mobile-phone operator Orange.
France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom were formerly partners, but fell out last year and have been trading blows ever since, each encroaching onto the other's home territory. 
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Equant
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