BERLIN, July 28 (Reuters) - The sale of KPN's German business to Telefonica is likely to bring moreconsolidation in Europe's mobile market, the head of KPN'sE-Plus said in an interview with Der Spiegel on Sunday.
KPN plans to sell its German business E-Plus to Telefonicain a cash and shares deal expected to be completed in the firsthalf of 2014.
"Yes, that's conceivable," Thorsten Dirks, head of E-Plustold the magazine when asked whether the deal with TelefonicaDeutschland would spark further consolidation inEurope.
"Europe has more than 50 mobile phone companies," Dirkssaid. "I believe that functioning competition can be achievedwith a lot less providers."
E-Plus and Telefonica's O2 Deutschland vie forthird place in Europe's biggest mobile market and both arefacing tough competition from their larger rivals DeutscheTelekom and Vodafone.