Vodafone and Digi team up to acquire Telekom Romania

• Vodafone Romania has begun negotiations with Digi Communications to potentially acquire part of the assets of the former state-owned telecom company, Telekom Romania.
• Regulatory documents indicate that Vodafone is considering the acquisition of TKRM, “including most of its assets.” Meanwhile, Digi is set to acquire “certain assets.

What happened

Vodafone Romania has entered into talks with Digi Communications for a potential acquisition of certain assets from the former state-owned Telekom Romania. Vodafone confirmed in a filing with the London Stock Exchange that Digi has signed a memorandum of understanding. This agreement is with TKRM’s parent company, the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE). The purpose is to potentially acquire some of the company’s assets. Regulatory documents indicate that Vodafone is considering acquiring TKRM, “including most of its assets,” while Digi would acquire “certain assets.”

Telekom Romania had over 4 million customers in 2023. This operator was established after the merger of Romtelecom and Cosmote România, which were previously state-owned by Romania. OTE has been trying to sell the brand for a while. Digi previously attempted to buy it but failed, as they were mainly interested in the mobile towers and frequency spectrum. According to TowerXchange data, Telekom Romania has 3,000 mobile towers in Romania. Vodafone already holds a significant portion of the Romanian market, with around 6.5 million users, second only to Orange.

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Why it is important

Regarding Vodafone and Digi’s acquisition of TKRM, may further integrate Romania’s telecommunications market and enhance market competitiveness. The collaboration between Vodafone and Digi will help optimise resource allocation and improve service quality, thereby strengthening their competitiveness in the Romanian market. Currently, Vodafone has approximately 6.5 million users in Romania, making it the second-largest operator in the market. Through this acquisition, Vodafone has the opportunity to expand its market share in Romania. This acquisition may lead to technological and service upgrades, enhance the service experience for Romanian users, and drive the digitalisation process. Mergers and acquisitions in the telecommunications industry have a significant impact on the local economy and employment, potentially creating new job opportunities and points of economic growth.