TIRANA (Albania), February 19 (SeeNews) – Albania's competition authority said that it has conditionally approved the sale of 100% of the country’s largest cable operator AbCom to telecommunications services provider Vodafone Albania.
The competition authority will monitor the activity of Vodafone and AbCom for a year and obliges both companies to notify it of any changes in the services they offer, the anti-trust body said in its decision published earlier this week.
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The competition watchdog obliges Vodafone Albania to not abuse its dominant position in the market, as well as orders both companies to separate their business accounts for fixed telephony services from those for mobile services, in order to make clear the source of income.
In late October, Vodafone Albania said it agreed to acquire AbCom, with the transaction to be subject to customary regulatory clearances. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
“This transaction is part of Vodafone Group’s wider strategy to enhance its mobile businesses with broadband and pay-TV services,” Vodafone said at the time.
The acquisition will enable Vodafone Albania to become a full service telecoms company by offering fixed and mobile communications and TV services to households and businesses, the company said.
After the transaction is completed, Vodafone Albania intends to pursue a new strategic investment plan for AbCom.
AbCom is the largest cable operator in Albania, serving around 460,000 households. The company currently provides broadband and pay-TV services to more than 100,000 Albanian homes.
There were 2.52 million active mobile telephony users in Albania at the end of 2019, down 3.1% year-on-year, according to data from the country's electronic and postal communications authority, AKEP. Vodafone Albania was market leader with 1.25 million active mobile users, followed by Telekom Albania with 852,124 and Albtelecom with 417,061.