Page 119 - SAMENA Trends - January-February 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

After failed attempts at mediation between regulator’s appeal. If that decision survives decision Rogers announced the deadline
Shaw, Rogers and the Commissioner the upcoming appeal, the only remaining for the deal had been extended to the end
of Competition, the case went to the approval needed would be for the transfer of January 2023. When announced back
Competition Tribunal to decide on whether of Freedom Mobile’s spectrum licenses in March 2021, it was originally slated to
to allow the agreement to proceed. On 29 to Videotron. This needs to be secured complete in the first half of 2022.
December, the tribunal announced it had from the minister of innovation, science
sided with the operators and dismissed the and industry. At the time of the Tribunal’s

Telenet Acquires Luxembourg’s Eltrona

Belgian full-service provider Telenet has Belgium – was being finalized and could be Telenet 50% minus one of the shares of the
announced its acquisition of the remaining completed by early January. Following merged entity. The merged entity has
shares in Luxembourg-based Eltrona from Telenet’s acquisition of Coditel Luxembourg continued to develop its activities under the
the company’s founding shareholders for (SFR-Coditel) in 2017, SFR-Coditel’s Eltrona brand over the past two years and
an undisclosed sum. In a press release activities were merged with cable operator claimed around 50,000 unique customer
issued late last month, Telenet said the Eltrona in April 2020. This transaction relationships at the end of September 2022,
transaction – the first time the operator has resulted in Eltrona’s founding shareholders including approximately 46,000 cable and/
taken full ownership of a company outside obtaining 50% plus one of the shares and or IPTV subscriptions, some 16,000 fixed
broadband RGUs, approximately 8,000
fixed voice subscriptions and around 2,000
mobile accounts. Commenting on the deal,
Telenet CEO John Porter said: ‘This
acquisition unlocks new opportunities for
both Telenet and Eltrona. It offers Telenet
the opportunity to evolve as a
telecommunications operator in a broader
market. At the same time, Eltrona will
benefit from Telenet’s success and
reputation in Belgium. By becoming the
sole owner of Eltrona, I believe Telenet will
be even better able to deliver the growth
perspectives it deserves for the future in
the competitive and evolving Luxembourg
market and to make it the number one
brand in terms of customer experience.’

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