Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) has reinforced its commitment to launch an initial public offering for its submarine cable network unit in the first half or 2015, but the exact timing will be driven by market conditions.
In late July, the vendor first revealed plans to pursue an initial public offering of shares for its submarine cable business, ending a string of rumors that began to emerge in 2013 about the future of the division that's been suffering from weakening demand.
When the IPO takes place, Alcatel-Lucent previously said that it would retain a majority stake in the business, while the IPO would provide resources to expand the business further into the oil and gas market.