The Dutch company, KPN Telecom, teamed up with BellSouth of the US yesterday to buy Germany's third-largest mobile phone operator, E-Plus, in an €18.7 billion (£14.7 billion) deal, thwarting an earlier bid from France Telecom. The Dutch group said it had struck a deal that would give it a 77.5 per cent stake in E-Plus, with BellSouth retaining its 22.5 per cent holding.