HELSINKI (AFP) - Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) is in talks to buy the telecom equipment business of US group Motorola for more than 1.0 billion dollars, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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A spokesman for German-Finnish NSN, Ben Roome, told AFP: "We don't comment on rumours or speculations."

A spokesman for Motorola questioned by the newspaper also declined to comment.

The report, citing people close to the matter, said that the value of a deal could be 1.1-1.3 billion dollars (864 million to 1.02 billion euros).

Motorola said on July 1 that it intended to split its business in the first quarter of next year, separating products for consumers from its businesses making equipment.

NSN is one of several companies fighting to be ranked number two in the world, behind Swedish group Ericsson, in the business of providing network equipment for mobile telephone system operators.

NSN is a joint venture between Nokia, the world leader in making mobile phone handsets, and the German industrial group Siemens.

In November it said that it wanted to develop its activities by means of takeovers and that it was looking first at the North American market.

NSN failed in two attempts to buy divisions being sold by Canadian group Nortel which was being broken up. One of these bids was lost to Ericsson which also wants to develop in the North American market.