NII Holdings expects offers for Nextel Brazil in September, says source.

(Reuters)- US-based NII Holdings expects to receive bids for Brazilian mobile phone operator Nextel in September, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, citing Telefônica Brasil as one of the interested parties, along with TIM Participações and Claro, a subsidiary of América Móvil.

Access Industries, which holds a 30 percent minority stake in Nextel, is also interested in increasing its stake in the company.

Representatives from TIM Participações, NII, and Claro did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. Representatives from Telefônica Brasil previously declined to comment, while Access Industries did not respond to requests for comment.

In a conference call with analysts to discuss second-quarter results, NII's CFO, Daniel Freiman, stated that Rothschild & Co. is advising the company in the process.

A sale of Nextel would give participants in Brazil's telecommunications sector a long-awaited, but rare, chance for consolidation.

Roberto Rittes, president of Nextel Brazil, stated that the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) will likely raise spectrum limits in the fourth quarter, which could accelerate a sale of the company.

NII shares surged as much as 31 percent on June 28 after Reuters reported that the company had hired Rothschild to explore a sale of Nextel Brazil. The stock has risen about 1.400 percent year-to-date amid market bets on an acquisition of the company.

Freiman declined to comment during the teleconference on potential interested parties, saying only that "strategic discussions" are ongoing.

A sale to local rivals depends on Anatel increasing spectrum limits. Much of Nextel's value comes from its spectrum rights in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where companies like TIM and Telefônica are already fighting against current limits.

Nextel Brazil has around 3 million customers, but its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) are close to zero.

Nextel Brasil is the division of NII that operates in Latin America, after the company ceased operations in Peru, Chile, and Mexico, where its unit received $1,9 billion from AT&T three years ago.

By Gram Slattery and Tatiana Bautzer