Budapest authorities complete Antenna Hungaria purchase

The government of Hungary, acting through state-owned communications industry holding company Nemzeti Infokommunikacios Szolgaltato Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag (NISZ), has completed the acquisition of local service provider Antenna Hungaria from TDF of France. BroadbandTVNews reports that the Budapest authorities completed the purchase of 100% of Antenna Hungaria, which operates the MinDig pay-TV service and a range of transmission services, two months after signing the deal with the French group. The state’s move is part of a policy to renationalise industries it deems strategically important to the country and means that Antenna becomes state-owned just nine years after it was sold off. For its part, TDF announced in 2013 that it is refocusing its business away from central and eastern Europe.