Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries identified Swiss operator Sunrise Communications as a possible partner, reigniting the potential of a tie-up between the two following reported discussions earlier in the year.

Speaking to Bloomberg in a television interview, Fries said the cable operator was focused on improving its network and product offering in the country, while exploring options to bolster its business.

Fries reportedly said earlier this month it had struggled in the market due to the level of competition for mobile, fixed-line, internet and TV services. In March, Liberty Global reportedly entered into discussions with Sunrise about establishing a joint venture in the country, but a deal is yet to be announced.

The CEO confirmed Sunrise could yet be a potential partner, stating a deal was possible: “There aren’t many operators in the market, so that would be one of them.”

Dutch deal
When reporting the original discussions in March, Bloomberg said a possible deal between could mirror the agreement Liberty Global has with Vodafone Group in the Netherlands, where the pair established the VodafoneZiggo joint venture, offering converged mobile, fixed line, TV and broadband services.

Liberty Global has also since agreed a wider deal to sell its operations in Germany and the CEE region to Vodafone.

As part of its options for its Swiss business, Liberty Global also recently raised the prospect of conducting an IPO.