(Telecompaper) BT has entered into exclusive talks to acquire UK mobile operator EE from Deutsche Telekom and Orange for GBP 12.5 billion in cash and new shares. Under the non-binding terms agreed, Deutsche Telekom would hold 12 percent of BT and would be entitled to appoint a member to the BT board. Orange would own 4 percent of BT. The period of exclusivity will last several weeks to allow BT to complete due diligence and for negotiations on a definitive agreement to be reached. While continuing discussions, BT will progress its own plans for providing enhanced fixed-mobile converged services for businesses and consumers, in line with previous announcements, and remains confident of delivering on these plans should a transaction not take place. BT expects significant synergies mainly through network and IT rationalisation, back-office consolidation and savings on procurement, marketing and sales costs. In addition, BT expects to generate revenue synergies through selling fixed-line services to EE customers who do not currently take a service from BT, and by accelerating the sale of converged fixed-mobile services to BT's existing consumer and business customers.