The Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has approved the take-over of Netia, the country’s leading alternative telco, by Cyfrowy Polsat.
In a statement, it says that it received a request to approve the acquisition on December 21, 2017, adding that it was necessary to move to the second stage of its investigation in January by undertaking market research. This was done by sending surveys to Netia’s and Cyfrowy Polsat’s competitors, as well as asking the opinion of the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE).
The results showed that although Cyfrowy Polsat’s shares of the pay-TV, internet and telephony markets would increase slightly, the transaction would not significantly reduce competition in individual local markets.
As previously reported by Broadband TV News, last December Cyfrowy Polsat submitted a bid of nearly €152 million for a combined block of shares owned by Netia’s two main shareholders.
It also said it intended to announce a tender offer in order to achieve a stake of no more than 66% of the total number of votes at Netia’s General Meeting.
