Deals Of The Day 11/05/12
Contec Holdings LTD, which repairs and refurbishes customer premise equipment for the cable industry, just completed its restructuring and has emerged from Chapter 11, effective Nov. 2. (The background: On Aug. 29, the company filed a prepackaged plan of reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, and the plan was confirmed Oct. 4.) Contec says it reduced the debt on its balance sheet by approximately $250 million, and it obtained an incremental $25 million in financing…Connector maker Hirose Electric signed a worldwide distribution agreement with Mouser Electronics. The deal authorizes Mouser to distribute Hirose’s full product portfolio to its 375,000-plus global customers. Mouser is stocking Hirose’s rectangular, circular and coaxial connectors as well as FFC / FPC connectors…RF Micro Devices Inc. plans to buy Amalfi Semiconductor, a fabless semiconductor company specializing in RF and mixed-signal ICs for the entry-level smartphone market. “RFMD intends to significantly accelerate the market adoption of Amalfi’s RF CMOS and mixed-signal ICs by combining Amalfi’s targeted product portfolio and proprietary RF CMOS and mixed-signal expertise with RFMD’s deep customer relationships, broad product portfolio, extensive in-house manufacturing scale, and robust global supply chain,” the buyer says. RFMD will acquire Amalfi with cash on hand for total consideration of approximately $47.5 million, net of cash received…Cablevision Systems is giving its Optimum customers who are struggling back from the effects of Superstorm Sandy credit for any full or partial day during which they were unable to access Optimum services, even if the disruption was caused by a loss of electrical power. The company is asking customers to call after their Optimum service is restored so it can calculate and apply the full credit to which a customer is entitled. Adds Kristin Dolan, senior executive vice president/Product Management and Marketing, "In addition, customers will not be responsible for any damage to Cablevision equipment caused by the storm, and will be able to exchange damaged equipment at no cost”…Today marks the launch of the first phase of Bluegrass Cellular’s LTE network as part of the Verizon Wireless LTE in Rural America (LRA) program. The Kentucky cities of Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Glasgow, Radcliff and Bardstown are the first LTE venues. Bluegrass Cellular 4G customers and Verizon Wireless customers now have access to LTE-speed data services within Bluegrass Cellular’s 4G LTE coverage areas, and Bluegrass customers will also have access to Verizon’s 4G LTE network throughout the United States. (The background: Under the LTE in Rural America program, Verizon Wireless sought rural carriers to jumpstart the delivery of LTE services to rural communities throughout the United States. Verizon Wireless leased to Bluegrass Cellular its 700 MHz upper C-block wireless spectrum in the Bluegrass Cellular service areas where Verizon Wireless has not constructed a network.)