Nokia sale to Microsoft delayed

Finnish firm Nokia has said it does not expect to close the sale of its phone business to Microsoft until April, as talks with Asian regulators drag on.

The delay has fuelled speculation Nokia will have to make more concessions to get the 5.4 billion euro deal done.

The Finnish manufacturer was expected to sign off its phone arm in March. It’s believed Nokia is being pushed to compromise over licence fees it could charge on patents it will continue to hold once the deal is closed.