Item 1. Security and Issuer
Telecom Italia S.p.A. (“TI”) hereby amends and supplements its report on Schedule 13D, as filed on October 22, 2010 and amended on March 10, 2011 and October 31, 2011 (the “Schedule 13D”) with respect to the Class B shares, P$1.00 par value per share (the “Shares”), of Telecom Argentina S.A., an Argentinean corporation (the “Issuer”), a portion of which is represented by American Depositary Shares which are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”). The principal executive offices of the Issuer are located at Alicia Moreau de Justo 50, 10th floor, 1107 Buenos Aires, Argentina. Unless otherwise indicated, capitalized terms used in this Amendment No. 3 (the “Amendment”), but not defined herein, shall have the meaning assigned to such term in the Schedule 13D.
Item 4. Purpose of Transaction
Inversiones Milano S.A., currently in the process of being renamed Tierra Argentea S.A. (“TAR”), an Argentinean corporation, is the owner of 15,533,834 Shares. In addition, TAR owns 2,351,752 American Depositary Shares, representing 117,588 class B preferred shares, without voting rights, of Nortel (the “Nortel Preferred Shares”). Telecom Italia International N.V. (“TII”) holds 90% of the shares of TAR and TI holds the remaining 10%.
On March 29, 2012, TAR executed a letter of undertaking, addressed to and accepted by TI, TII, W de Argentina – Inversiones S.L., Los W S.A., Daniel Werthein, Adrián Werthein, Gerardo Werthein and Darío Werthein (the “Letter of Undertaking”) in relation to the 2010 Amended and Restated Shareholders’ Agreement dated August 5, 2010 and amended on October 13, 2010 and March 9, 2011, regulating among other things the exercise of voting rights over the Shares (the “Shareholders Agreement”). For more information on the Letter of Undertaking, please see Item 6 below.
As disclosed previously, TI, TII or one of their subsidiaries or affiliates may at any time, if and when opportunities arise, make further purchases of equity interests in Sofora, Nortel or the Issuer through open market or privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, which may further increase their direct or indirect stake in the Issuer.
Except as set forth herein and in the Schedule 13D, none of TI, TII, Sofora or Nortel has any plan or proposals that relate to or would result in any of the transactions described in subparagraphs (a) through (j) of Item 4 of Schedule 13D.
Item 6. Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships with Respect to Securities of the Issuer
Item 6 of the Schedule 13D is hereby amended and supplemented by the following information.
As described in Item 4 above, the Letter of Undertaking relates to the exercise by TAR of its voting rights over its Shares and Nortel Preferred Shares. Under the Letter of Undertaking, TAR has agreed to exercise its voting rights over its Shares and Nortel Preferred Shares in coherence with the exercise by TI and TII of their voting rights as shareholders of Sofora and indirect shareholders of Nortel, the Issuer and any of its subsidiaries. In addition, TAR agreed to (i) be bound by Article 17.1 of the Shareholders Agreement, providing for each party thereto (A) to disclose to the other parties any contractual arrangement with any shareholder of any company of the Issuer’s group, and (B) not to enter into any other arrangement with any person or entity with respect to the exercise of governance rights in the Issuer’s group, and (ii) promptly notify in writing to the addressees of the Letter of Undertaking any change of control over TAR.
The Letter of Undertaking will remain in force until the earliest of: (i) a third party, other than a member of the TI group, acquiring control over TAR; (ii) Telefonica S.A. ceasing to hold
control over its controlled companies in Argentina and an interest in TI with governance rights similar to those it currently holds; or (iii) elapse or termination of the Shareholders Agreement.
Item 7. Material to be Filed as Exhibits
Item 7 of the Schedule 13D is hereby amended to add the following exhibit:
Exhibit 1: Letter of undertaking dated March 29, 2012 of TAR, accepted by Telecom Italia S.p.A., Telecom Italia International N.V., W de Argentina – Inversiones S.L., Los W S.A., Daniel Werthein, Adrián Werthein, Gerardo Werthein and Darío Werthein.
SIGNATURES
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.
| April 2, 2012 | |
| Date | |
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| /s/ Antonino Cusimano | |
| Signature | |
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| Antonino Cusimano General Counsel TELECOM ITALIA S.P.A. | |
| April 2, 2012 | |
| Date | |
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| /s/ Francesco Saverio Lobianco | |
| Signature | |
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| Francesco Saverio Lobianco Chief Executive Officer TELECOM ITALIA INTERNATIONAL N.V. | |
| April 2, 2012 | |
| Date | |
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| /s/ Franco Livini | |
| Signature | |
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| Franco Livini Chairman of the Board of Directors SOFORA TELECOMUNICACIONES S.A. | |
| April 2, 2012 | |
| Date | |
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| /s/ Franco Livini | |
| Signature | |
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| Franco Livini Chairman of the Board of Directors NORTEL INVERSORA S.A | |