Israel’s Restricted Trade Practices Tribunal has given the green light for Bezeq to merge with its satcaster subsidiary YES.
In a statement, the telco said the courts had now given the company permission to raise its stake above 50%, but with a number of conditions attached, it said the decision was now being studied.
Previously the antitrust authority had objected to the merger because it would leave two key broadcasting infrastructures in the hands of a single company.
Under the ruling, Bezeq would be required to unbundle its next generation network (NGN) by making services available to other providers on a wholesale basis. A timetable for the rollout of the NGN has also been set out that would require Bezeq to reach 1.6 million households within three years. Bezeq must also commit to the retention of the YES satellite platform and not transfer any customers to its proposed IPTV network.
Bezeq already holds options to increase its holdings by a further 8% to 58%.
