CWC.L Share News (CWC)

* Orange to hire adviser in coming days-sources

* Orange Dominicana could fetch up to 900 mln euros-analyst

* Millicom, Digicel, CWC, funds potential bidders-sources (Adds possible bidders, valuation)

By Sophie Sassard

LONDON, July 16 (Reuters) - France's Orange isconsidering the sale of its Dominican Republic business in adeal that could fetch up to 900 million euros ($1.2 billion), asit exits non-core markets to pay down debt, seven people withknowledge of the situation said.

Orange is in talks with several banks and is expected toappoint a financial adviser in coming days to help on the sale,said the sources who asked not to be named because the talks areprivate.

Orange Dominicana, which provides mobile telephone andInternet services to retail and business customers, couldattract interest from players including Swedish-based mobileoperator Millicom, Jamaica's Digicel,Cable & Wireless Communications as well as privateequity firms in the United States and Latin America, the sourcessaid.

Orange holds 38.4 percent of the wireless market in theDominican Republic, against 51.2 percent for America Movil's Claro, 7.4 percent for Viva and 3 percent for Tricom.

"With America Movil controlling over half the market, theregulators would never allow them to buy Orange's operation. Ifeither of the other two operators (Viva or Tricom) can affordit, strategically it would make sense for one of them to buyOrange," said MorningStar analyst Allan Nichols.

A spokesman for Orange declined comment on the DominicanRepublic business, but said the group regularly conductedreviews of its assets, aiming to "analyse their performance,growth potential and coherence with the group's strategy".

Orange Dominicana had 2012 revenue of 451 million euros andits subscriber base grew 5.4 percent in the first quarter of2013, which was faster than in 2012.

"At 2 times sales, the enterprise value would increase to 902 million euros. I doubt Orange could get more than that, so asale would probably be in the range of 675 to 900 millioneuros," said Nichols.

The French group received an unsolicited approach for OrangeDominicana last year, but bilateral talks didn't go very far asthe parties couldn't agree on terms for the deal, one of thepeople said.

The Dominican Republic has a mobile penetration rate of 86.9percent among its population of 10.2 million, according to datacomplied by the Dominican Telecommunication Institute (Indotel)and the IMF.

Orange could use the proceeds of any deal to help pay downits 39.2 billion euros debts and make acquisitions in coremarkets in Europe and Africa, sources said.

Digicel declined to comment, while Millicom and Cable &Wireless Communications were not immediately available forcomment. ($1 = 0.7664 euros) (Additional reporting by Leila Abboud in Paris; Editing byKylie MacLellan and David Holmes)