European Commission approves Orange and APG takeover of Nexera

The European Commission has approved the joint takeover of the Polish wholesale fiber optic operator Nexera Holding by the French company Orange and the Dutch investment fund APG Asset Management.

The Commission determined that the transaction does not raise competition concerns within the Polish telecommunications sector, specifically regarding wholesale broadband internet access. According to the Commission, the resulting entity will continue to face significant competition from other providers, including Fiberhost, PSO (Polski Światłowód Otwarty), Vectra, and Tauron. The Commission noted that these competitors have complementary activities and limited geographic overlap.

Furthermore, the Commission rejected concerns that the deal could lead to the elimination of competitors. It argued that APG, acting as a financial investor, would not derive financial benefits from such actions. Nexera, founded in 2017 by Infracapital and Nokia, focuses on building broadband networks in Poland, partly utilizing funding from the National Recovery Plan.