(News Bulletin 247) – The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the creation of a joint venture between Liberty Global (UK) and Fluvius System Operator CV (Fluvius) (Belgium) .
The joint venture, NetCo, will combine all relevant fixed electronic communications network infrastructures currently owned or used by Liberty Global’s subsidiary, Telenet BV, and Fluvius. In addition, NetCo will continue the deployment and operation of a mixed hybrid-fiber-coaxial (HFC) / fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network within Telenet’s geographical footprint in Flanders (Belgium).
Liberty Global is an international convergent Internet, video, fixed telephony and mobile communications company. Telenet is a cable and mobile network operator in Belgium. Fluvius is a public operator of multi-utility networks in Flanders, also operating a limited FTTP network and providing limited commercial connectivity services.
The Commission concluded that the proposed transaction would not raise any horizontal competition concerns. The Commission also found that vertical relationships between upstream and downstream markets would not pose a problem.
The Commission has taken note of the measures proposed by Telenet and Fluvius to the Belgian Competition Authority in the context of an investigation into possible distortions of competition in the deployment of fiber optic networks in Flanders.
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