The Spanish government has okayed a major investment in the Hispasat satellite system by Abertis, the Spanish infrastructure company. Abertis will acquire 28.4% of Hispasat through its telecoms subsidiary, Abertis Telecom. The anti-trust authority Comisión Nacional de Competencia (CNC) now has to clear the deal. Abertis Telecom will be the largest shareholder in the operator when it takes over the shares from Auna (17.6%) and the BBVA bank (10.8%). When the purchase is finalised, Abertis Telecom will have significant stakes in both Eutelsat and Hispasat. The company already owns 32% of Eutelsat, which in turn owns 27.69% of Hispasat. The Spanish government owns 25% of Hispasat, while incumbent telecom operator Telefonica owns 13.2%.
About Robert Briel
Arnhem-based Robert covers the Benelux, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as IPTV, web TV, connected TV and OTT. Email Robert at [email protected].