Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (NYSE:KKR) is working to present a new offer for Telecom Italia S.p.A. (BIT:TIT)?s submarine cable unit Sparkle as the U.S fund presses ahead with due diligence on the assets, three sources familiar with the matter said on November 30, 2023. The sale of Sparkle, the international wholesale cable unit of Telecom Italia (TIM) whose network extends over 600,000 km, is part of Chief Executive Officer Pietro Labriola's plan to part ways with the former phone monopoly's fixed network assets to cut its debt pile.

At a meeting last week, TIM and KKR advisers discussed a valuation of around EUR 750 million ? EUR 800 million, up from a previous non-binding offer of around EUR 600 million ($654 million), deemed as to low by TIM, according to the sources. The terms of any offer for Sparkle, including the valuation, need to be discussed with the Italian Treasury, which has teamed up with KKR to co-invest in Telecom Italia's fixed network assets, seen as strategic by the government, the sources said.

KKR and TIM declined to comment. KKR has until December 5 to complete ongoing due diligence on Sparkle but the deadline could be extended, a fourth person briefed about the matter said. At this stage, a review of a potential offer for Sparkle at an ordinary TIM board meeting scheduled on December 14 is unlikely, the person added.

TIM's agreed in November to sell its domestic fixed line grid to KKR in a deal worth up to EUR 22 billion, when including debts and some potential future payments.