France Telecom submitted a proposal to sell its France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications unit to private equity firm Apax, according to the Web site of the Federal Cartel Office, which oversees anti-trust issues in Germany.

The specifics of the filing were not immediately available, but a news report quotes a France Telecom spokesman acknowledging that discussions for the sale of the satellite arm were ongoing.

Apax holds ownership interests in satellite operators Inmarsat and Intelsat.