Vodafone eyes expansion in Eastern Europe

British mobile phone giant Vodafone http://www.vodafone.co.uk has announced that it is in talks to buy the Canadian Telesystem International Wireless' (TIW) operations in the Czech Republic and Romania in a deal worth around 3.5 billion dollars. The mobile phone provider is also considering a bid for Telsim Mobile Telecommunication Services, a Turkish mobile phone service provider that is set to be auctioned by the Turkish government, according to insiders. As the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) http://www.wsj.com reports, expansion into developing markets could help Vodafone compensate for slowing growth in its core markets in Western Europe and Japan. According to Arun Sarin, the company's chief executive, Vodafone would be interested in increasing its stakes in service providers in Poland and South Africa.