23 January 2014: Telecommunications
The Autorité de la concurrence clears the acquisition of Numéricâble by Altice, its minority shareholder.
The Autorité de la concurrence has cleared the acquisition of the Numéricâble group, a cable network electronic communications operator, by Altice Six, a subsidiary of the Altice group. The Altice group, already Numéricâble’s minority shareholder, has increased its share in the telecommunications group’s capital, taking exclusive control.
The transaction is one of a series of acquisitions by the Altice group
The transaction has taken place subsequent to Altice’s acquisition of two telecommunications groups that are active in the overseas departments and regions:
- Altice took control of the Outremer Télécom group in July 2013. Notification of this operation was not given to the Autorité de la concurrence. Indeed, the turnover thresholds set out in the Commercial Code to trigger monitoring of the operation were not crossed.
- The Autorité de la concurrence then authorised Altice’s acquisition of Mobius, another telecoms operator in La Réunion (Autorité de la concurrence decision no.13-DCC-199 of 24 December 2013).
It is of particular note that these two acquisitions make Altice one of the main internet access providers in La Réunion.
The acquisition of Numéricâble does not affect competition
The operation, which is taking place close on the heels of Numéricâble’s entry onto the stock market, does not affect competition. Numéricâble, a major telecommunications player on the French mainland, does not have any activity of its own in the overseas departments and regions, - the use of its trade mark in overseas territories is solely the result of licences granted to Altice group subsidiaries.
Given that there is no overlapping of activity in the geographic areas where Altice was present prior to the transaction, it is not liable to affect competition.
> Full text of Decision Nr 14-DCC-09 of 22 January 2014 will soon be published on this page
> Press contact: André Piérard - Tel. +33 1 55 04 02 28