UK regulator says Nexfibre-Netomnia deal could hurt competition

LONDON: Britain’s competition watchdog said on Friday it had provisionally found that Nexfibre’s acquisition of fibre broadband operator Netomnia could substantially reduce competition in the wholesale supply of fixed broadband services.

Nexfibre, a joint venture backed by Liberty Global, Telefonica and InfraVia, agreed to buy the owner of Netomnia, the country’s second-largest “altnet” fibre network, for £2 billion ($2.7 billion) in February.

Nexfibre said the Competition and Markets Authority’s findings did not reflect the reality of Britain’s fibre market.