Deutsche Telekom has reportedly rejected offers for its struggling UK mobile unit (T-Mobile UK) from France Telecom (Orange) and Vodafone in recent months, suggesting that the German telecoms giant is committed to reviving the business. A report in the UK’s The Observer newspaper yesterday said that Deutsche Telekom “rebuffed” Orange’s offer. Meanwhile, UK-based Vodafone was rumoured to have proposed swapping its Turkish mobile unit (Vodafone Turkey) for T-Mobile UK, though Vodafone sources denied the approach. News of the two approaches coincide with the introduction of T-Mobile UK’s new managing director, Richard Moat, who takes up his new position this week.

Deutsche Telekom was forced to book a EUR1.8 billion write-down at its struggling UK mobile unit last month, a move that was largely responsible for the operator reporting a EUR1.124 billion net loss for first-quarter 2009. It is also understood to have faced pressure from key shareholders including the German government (a 32 percent shareholder) and private-equity firm Blackstone (4.5 percent) to find a buyer for the business. T-Mobile UK – the country’s fourth-placed operator – has also been linked with a merger with 3 UK, the fifth-placed player. However, Deutsche Telekom CEO René Obermann has said the UK operation should be given a chance in the “medium term,” and is understood to be willing to grant T-Mobile UK’s new management team time to turnaround the business. Click here for Wireless Intelligence’s recent ‘Snapshot’ analysis on T-Mobile.