The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has granted approval for the takeover by Netia of a part of the network providing television, Internet and telephone access services in buildings where these services were formerly provided by UPC and Aster prior to the merger of both these operators

Netia is a provider of telecommunications services, including fixed-line and mobile telephony services, wired and wireless Internet access services and cable television services. UPC Polska carries out this transaction to comply with the condition contained in the approval of the President of UOKiK for the takeover of Aster by the company. The approval was granted on condition that UPC Polska would divest itself of a part of the cable network belonging to Aster in Krakow and Warsaw, including Aster’s infrastructure and licences for the operation of cable pay-TV, broadband Internet and fixed-line telephony services in buildings where these services had been provided by both these operators prior to the merger.

As a result of the concentration, Netia will take over the control of Centrina and Dianthus from UPC Polska. Centrina and Dianthus will receive assets and liabilities of the relevant part of the network which previously belonged to Aster. In accordance with the decision of the President of UOKiK, the former customers of the Aster network from the buildings where services were also provided by UPC Polska will have the right, within six months of the commencement of the provision of services by the new operator, to choose a service provider without incurring any costs associated with early termination of binding agreements.

Having completed antitrust proceedings, the President of the Office decided that the concentration would not lead to a significant restriction of competition.

Pursuant to the applicable regulations, any transaction is subject to notification to an anti-trust authority if it involves undertakings whose total turnover achieved in the preceding year exceeds EUR 1 billion worldwide or EUR 50 million in Poland.

Decisions granting consent to concentration schemes expire if the merger is not completed within 2 years from the decision issue date. Information about all concentration-related antitrust proceedings conducted by the Office is available at the Office’s website. For more information concerning merging of undertakings please see the specifically made study.

Additional information for the media:
Małgorzata Cieloch, Spokesperson of UOKiK
Department of International Relations and Communication
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Tel. 22 827 28 92, 55 60 314, 55 60 430
Fax 22 826 11 86
E-mail: malgorzata.cieloch@uokik.gov.pl