The Icelandic Competition Authority (ICA, locally known as Samkeppniseftirlitid) has approved the merger between Icelandic telecoms operator Siminn (Iceland Telecom) and its holding company Skipti. TeleGeography notes that in June 2013 the two companies agreed to undertake substantial changes in their operations, in order to provide for the further structural separation between retail and wholesale activities. The deal was ultimately designed to ensure that Siminn and its rival telecoms operators will have equal access to the local grid, with Skipti and its subsidiaries being subject to detailed conditions which serve to prevent the utilisation of Skipti’s position as the owner of the telecoms network to create an abnormal competitive head-start for Siminn.
Under ICA’s new decision, wholesale network operating division Mila and broadcaster Skjarinn will become subsidiaries of Skipti/Siminn, while Skipti’s domestic network solutions provider Sensa, software solutions provider Staki, consulting specialist Talenta and telecoms solutions provider Radiomidun will be merged into the new enlarged operation.