- Deutsche Telekom acquisition of GTS approved
- Complements DT’s pan-European network in mobile centric countries
- Strengthens DT’s position in the international B2B and wholesale segments
Deutsche Telekom obtained today the required merger control clearance from the European Commission for the acquisition of GTS Central Europe (“GTS”). The acquisition was announced in November 2013 and has now been cleared without conditions. The transaction will close in the coming weeks.
"We are pleased that we can now close the transaction and start the integration of GTS. It fits perfectly into our strategy of building a pan-European network and strengthens our position with business and multinational customers. Moreover, it will enable us to offer all of our wholesale customers competitive, high-quality services," commented Claudia Nemat, Board member for Europe and Technology at Deutsche Telekom.
"This decision eases any concerns customers and employees may have had. We will of course keep them informed in the coming weeks about the next steps regarding the integration. We are absolutely certain this union will add value to everyone involved," said Danny Bottoms, CEO of GTS.
GTS is one of the top infrastructure-based telecommunications service providers in Central and Eastern Europe including a strong portfolio of services focused on business customers. In 2013, GTS achieved revenues of EUR 337 million and EBITDA of EUR 88 million pro-forma excluding the Slovak assets, which will be retained by the sellers as part of the transaction.
Deutsche Telekom AG Corporate Communications Tel.: +49 228 181 – 4949 E-Mail: media@telekom.de Further information for the media at: www.telekom.com/media and www.telekom.com/photos
About Deutsche Telekom Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with over 142 million mobile customers, 31 million fixed-network lines and more than 17 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2013). The Group provides fixed network, mobile communications, Internet and IPTV products and services for consumers and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in around 50 countries and has approximately 229,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenues of EUR 60.1 billion in the 2013 financial year – more than half of it outside Germany.
About GTS GTS Central Europe is one of the top infrastructure-based providers of telecommunications services in Central and Eastern Europe. GTS owns and operates an extensive fiber optic and data center network throughout the region. In the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, the company combines its regional footprint with deep local networks to deliver a broad range of services. From basic voice and data to complex virtual private networks and cloud services, GTS assembles the latest technology with its extensive network to provide industry-leading customer solutions. With a strong operating history of 20 years in CEE, the company is committed to providing service excellence and value to its over 35,000 business, carrier and government customers. For more information, please visit us at www.gtsce.com .