The Dutch Competition Authority grants a permit to telecom operator for the acquisition of four fiber-optic providers (KPN / Concepts ICT / Edutel / XMS / KickXL)

Introduction On 16 October 2012, the Netherlands Competition Authority ("NMa") granted a permit for a proposed concentration between KPN B.V. ("KPN") and Concepts ICT Holding B.V. ("Concepts"), Edutel Beheer B.V. ("Edutel"), Xtra Media Services B.V. ("Xtra") and KickXL B.V. ("KickXL"). Previously, the NMa had decided that this concentration required a permit as it has reasons to believe that it would significantly impede competition. [1] In the present decision, however, the NMa determined that this would not be the case, despite the existence of high market shares on several markets. Below we will summarize and comment on the NMa's considerations. KPN is a Dutch undertaking that provides television-, internet- and telephone services ("retail services"). In addition, KPN is active in