(Telecompaper) AT&T has announced that it's exploring an initial public offering of a minority stake in satellite television service DirecTV Latin America in the first half of 2018. In a brief statement the company confirmed that it has confidentially filed an IPO registration statement with US regulators but gave no assurance that the transaction will be completed. The filing confirms earlier reports that the company was reviewing its portfolio with a view to reducing its debt, which is set to surge to around USD 180 billion once its USD 85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner closes.