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Satcom merger investigated

The $7.3 billion acquisition of Inmarsat by US-based satcoms giant Viasat has been referred to the EU antitrust regulator…

The merger of Inmarsat and US-based telecoms giant Viasat, announced in 2021, has been referred to EU antitrust regulators, with a ruling due on February 13. The transaction was valued at $7.3 Billion, comprising $850.0 million in cash, approximately 46.36 million shares of Viasat common stock valued at $3.1 billion (based on the closing price on Friday, November 5, 2021), and the assumption of $3.4 billion of net debt.

Rick Baldridge, Viasat's president and CEO, said in a statement to the media at the time: "This strategic move gives Viasat the scale to increase the pace of innovation that drives new and better services for our customers, broadens the opportunities for our employees and provides a foundation for significant positive free cash flow, with potential upside from a revitalization of L-band and IoT service growth. Plus, we will have expanded scale and presence in the $1.6 trillion broadband and IoT sectors."

Concern has been raised that the deal is anti-competitive and may lead to a monopoly on mobile connectivity. According to reporting by Reuters, the deal is already under investigation by the UK competition watchdog since late 2022.

 

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