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Nortel Networks Corp.'s auction to sell its optical components business has garnered a number of bidders for the division.
Hasan Imam, a senior analyst with Thomas Weisel Partners LLC, said the suitors include Intel Corp., a Santa Clara, Calif., chipmaking giant; and Agilent Technologies Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif., whose main business is making semiconductor test and measurement equipment. He estimates Nortel's optical components business will fetch $200 million to $300 million, although the Brampton, Ontario, networking company may sell the unit in pieces.
Nortel and Intel declined to comment. Agilent could not be reached.
Jim Jungjohann, an analyst with CIBC World Markets, said in a research note issued Wednesday that optical components maker JDS Uniphase Corp. of San Jose, Calif., also...