The European Commission (EC) has today cleared the merger between mobile network operator Vodafone and cable company Liberty Global in the Netherlands. Frontier advised Vodafone on the EC’s merger control process.

The decision is conditional on Vodafone selling its fixed business, which currently offers TV, fixed telephone and broadband services to customers in the Netherlands. The divestment was offered by Vodafone to alleviate the Commission’s concerns that the transaction might lead to a lessening of competition in the market for fixed and fixed-mobile “multi-play” services, which offer a number of fixed or fixed and mobile services to customers as part of a single package. Liberty Global currently provides both fixed and mobile services in the Netherlands under the name Ziggo.

Frontier regularly advises companies during the EC merger control process as well as companies in other jurisdictions.

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