European Union: Approved Orange acquisition of VOO/Brutélé based on commitments addressing competition concerns

On 20 March 2023, the European Commission approved Orange's acquisition of VOO and Brutélé based on the commitments made by Orange addressing the competition concerns identified during the investigation. Following an in-depth investigation, the Commission found that the acquisition could reduce competition in the retail markets for fixed internet services, audiovisual services and bundled services, including the connectivity between fixed and wireless telecommunications networks. Furthermore, the Commission noted that the acquisition has the potential to reduce the number of competing companies in Belgium from three to two and could negatively impact the deployment of third-party mobile networks due to the move of VOO's mobile customers to Orange's services. In order to address the concerns raised by the Commission, Orange agreed to give Telenet, a telecom operator from North of Belgium, access in the following 10 years to the fixed network infrastructure acquired in the Walloon region and Brussels and to its future fibre-to-the-premises network. Finally, Orange is required to appoint a trustee to report on compliance with the commitments to the Commission.