NSN frontrunner to acquire Motorola infrastructure business

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has emerged as the frontrunner to acquire the network infrastructure business of Motorola following the US equipment giant’s decision to split itself into two separate companies by the first quarter of next year, according to various press reports.

NSN, which was created in 2006 to combine the infrastructure activities of Finland’s Nokia and Germany’s Siemens, is widely believed not to have fulfilled its potential to date and is keen to establish a greater presence in the US market.

Motorola is also believed to have held discussions with China’s Huawei, but NSN is reportedly closer to concluding a deal.

Motorola’s infrastructure business is part of a division that includes its TV set-top and headend equipment activities. In February the company set a deadline of the first quarter of 2011 to split into two parts comprising mobile devices and its home business, and enterprise mobility solutions and networks businesses respectively.

Greg Brown, who will head the network infrastructure and mobility solutions business, is believed to be considering a sale of the infrastructure part while retaining the mobile radio equipment activities of the group.