PPF Group’s CETIN has entered an agreement with the investment group Kaprain to acquire the Czech ISP Nej.cz for an undisclosed fee.
If the transaction is approved by the Office for the Protection of Competition, CETIN will buy a high-speed fibre-optic infrastructure which is available to 500,000 homes in several regions of the Czech Republic.
Nej.cz currently has almost 250,000 active customers (homes connected), to whom it provides mainly internet access, IPTV and voice services. In the B2B segment, it also operates three data centres and provides streaming services. In addition to other TV platforms, Nej.cz also operates the Kuki internet TV platform.
In the future, the connection of Nej.cz customers to CETIN’s infrastructure will allow for further development and new features of the services provided. There will be no change to CETIN’s wholesale model, namely the provision of services to other operators.
Commenting on the transaction, Juraj Sedivy, chairman of the board of directors of CETIN, said: “CETIN will make full use of Nej.cz infrastructure as well as the company’s know-how and capabilities for further ambitious development of its telecommunications infrastructure”.
Karel Prazak, founder of Kaprain Group, added: “We have built Nej.cz into the third largest player on Czech market primarily through acquisitions of the most interesting telecommunications companies across the country. However, at present, we do not see any more significant acquisition opportunities on the domestic market, and therefore no room for our own expansion. We have completed our investment cycle and we are selling Nej.cz at the right moment”.
Marcel Dostal, investment director of Kaprain Group, said: “In a rigorous selection process involving dozens of domestic and foreign investors, CETIN submitted the best offer and proved to be the most suitable partner for the further development of the infrastructure and services Nej.cz provides to its clients”.
