The Czech competition regulator has approved Romanian telco RCS&RDS’ sale of its local satellite TV unit Digi Czech Republic to Lama Energy Group subsidiary Lufusions.
The Office for the Protection of Competition (UOHS) explained in a statement that…
The Czech competition regulator has approved Romanian telco RCS&RDS’ sale of its local satellite TV unit Digi Czech Republic to Lama Energy Group subsidiary Lufusions.
The Office for the Protection of Competition (UOHS) explained in a statement that it does not believe the Digi CR-Lufusions merger will substantially distort competition.
Lama’s main line of business is the energy sector, including electricity, oil and gas, but it is also invested in telecoms, operating as an MVNO under the brand Lama Mobile. Most of its operations are in the Czech Republic, however it also does business in Mongolia and Canada. The group is majority owned by its founder, Petr Lamich.
The sale marks RCS&RDS’ latest exit from the DTH space in Central and Eastern Europe. It sold Digi Slovakia to the country’s largest telecoms operator in May 2013, and Croatia’s Digi TV to Telekom Austria in March of that year.
Rumours of talks between RCS&RDS – which provides cable, internet and fixed and mobile services in addition to satellite TV – and Lama first surfaced in 2014.
Meanwhile, Lama’s Digi acquisition comes as the country looks set to welcome another DTH platform.
Telekom Austria, which made its first foray into the satellite TV sector when it bought its Croatian asset as part of its convergence strategy, is reported to be in talks with a Czech fixed-line group called Itself about launching the service.
The Austrian telco is already said to be negotiating with Slovakian IPTV provider Antik Telecom about setting up a satellite TV platform in Slovakia.
