(Telecompaper) Tele Columbus, Germany's third-largest cable operator, announced plans for an initial public offering by year-end. It plans to raise at least EUR 300 million to help reduce debt and provide cash for expansion. The IPO will be accompanied by a debt refinancing aimed at reducing interest expense and lowering net debt to around 3.5 times adjusted EBITDA. The offering on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange will include new shares and shares from existing shareholders. Active in east Germany, Tele Columbus has around 1.7 million households connected to its network. Since a propsoed merger with Kabel Deutschland was vetoed by regulators last year, Tele Columbus has been expanding through small acquisitions.