Orange Romania has signed a deal to acquire a controlling 54% stake in Telekom Romania Communications, in a transaction that is designed to accelerate Orange’s strategy to become the preferred choice of customers for convergent services in the Romanian market.
Orange will pay a total of €268 million, on a debt-free, cash-free basis and subject to customary adjustments at closing, corresponding to a total enterprise value of €497m, based on 100% of Telekom Romania Communications and the convergent customer base.
TKR is Romania’s second largest player in fixed telecoms with revenues of €622m reported in 2019. Through its owned network infrastructure, TKR provides fixed voice, broadband and pay-tv services to 5 million customers and its approximately 90,000 km fibre network connects some 3 million households. It also provides convergent services to approximately 881 thousand fixed-mobile convergent subscribers, as at 30 June 2020 through an MVNO contract with Telekom Romania Mobile. These customers will migrate to Orange Romania’s network, following the completion of the transaction.
Orange Romania reported €1.1 billion revenues in 2019 and is the number one mobile operator in Romania. Thanks to this acquisition Orange will accelerate its convergent operator strategy which, when combined with TKR’s fixed network, will create a fully infrastructure-based convergent operator across B2C, B2B and ICT markets.
The future combined entity will aim to become the preferred choice of customers for convergent services in the Romanian market both for consumer and business segments. This transaction will also generate significant synergies deriving mainly from the cross-selling of services to existing customers, as well as the optimisation of the network including economies of scale and scope.
The closing of the transaction is subject to customary condition precedents, notably antitrust clearance by the European Commission and other relevant authorities and is expected to be completed within the second half of 2021. Until this approval and the completion of the transaction is obtained, both companies will continue to operate independently.
Mari-Noelle Jego-Laveissiere, deputy CEO, in charge of Orange in Europe, says: “This acquisition is an important step to accelerate our convergence strategy in Europe. Romania is a key market for Orange and a great success story. This transaction confirms our long term commitment to the Romanian market. We are looking forward to contribute to the development of the telecoms sector through sustained investments in top performing network infrastructures and innovative services.”
Liudmila Climoc, CEO, Orange Romania, comments: “This is a significant milestone for the Romanian telecom market that will enhance its attractiveness both in terms of converged telecoms services and high quality infrastructure, while increasing competition. It will provide the opportunity to scale up innovative convergent services, bringing broader benefits and wider choices to the customers and also to the country’s digital economy sustainable development. Orange Romania’s and Telekom Romania Communications’ network complementarity will allow us to bring together not only customers and teams, but also the best of expertise in terms of quality of service and future-proof mobile and fixed networks infrastructure.”
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