News In Brief: McKinsey-KPMG, AT&T, Maxis, Bahrti, Alca-Lu, ITV, Vodafone Essar

A combined bid from management consultancy McKinsey & Co and accountancy firm KPMG has landed the Lead Advisor role for Australia’s National Broadband Network Implementation Study. McKinsey-KPMG was one of nine respondents to a request for expression of interest. The implementation study is expected to be completed in February 2010.
 
Alcatel-Lucent has secured a contract from US Cox Business to supply IP service router products and services to support Ethernet-based solutions for its business and carrier customers. Cox Business is the fourth largest provider of business Ethernet services in the US based on customer ports.
 
UK broadcaster ITV has sold its Friends Reunited social network to publisher DC Thomson for just €29 million, a fraction of the €200 million it acquired the online asset for, four years ago. DC Thomson plans to integrate its FindMyPast unit with Friends Reunited's Genes Reunited service, and expand its online genealogy service.
AT&T Mobility will pay Sprint Nextel €40.8 million for spectrum in parts of Colorado, Oklahoma, Florida and elsewhere. The spectrum exchange between the two Tier 1 carriers was recently approved by the FCC.
 
Malaysian mobile operator Maxis is close to choosing banks to support a planned IPO which could raise $2 billion.
 
Bharti Airtel is planning to make an offer for the Sri Lankan mobile network owned by Luxembourg-based Millicom. Bharti has already committed $250 million to its Sri Lankan arm.
 
Vodafone Essar has decided to sell a stake in its tower arm, after failing to negotiate a merger with one of its rivals. The division is worth at least $420 million.