Liberty Global and Vodafone are set to win EU antitrust approval for their plan to merge their Dutch operations after offering minor concessions, according to a report by Reuters.
The merged company will be the second-largest telecoms company in the Netherlands. Ziggo is the largest cable TV operator in the country, while Vodafone is the second-biggest mobile network operator, after the country’s incumbent KPN. KPN is the second largest TV platform, after Ziggo.
The deal was first announced in February, and last month the two companies offered concessions to win approval.
“We do not comment on speculation. We are in constructive dialogue with the European Commission and are confident of clearance in due course,” a Liberty spokesman told Reuters. The European Commission has set a deadline of Wednesday, August 3, for taking a decision on the deal.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands Authority for Consumer & Markets (ACM) has asked the European Commission to be allowed to handle the merger between the two operators.
Two weeks ago, the companies announced the intended management of the joint venture.
