Telekom Austria acquires Croatia's Digi TV DTH provider through Vipnet subsidiary

Vipnet as full player in the communications area

VIENNA — Vipnet, the Croatian subsidiary of Telekom Austria Group, has acquired the Croatian satellite TV provider Digi TV. Based on this acquisition, Vipnet will expand its current telephony, internet and cable TV service portfolio to include digital satellite TV solutions and position itself as full service provider on the Croatian TV market. The closing of the transaction has already taken place. Confidentiality has been agreed on the purchase price.

The newly acquired satellite TV provider, a former subsidiary of the Romanian cable operator ‘RCS/RDS’, is one of the top providers of digital television services on the Croatian market. Digit TV began operating in November 2006 and reported total revenues of roughly EUR 2 million in 2012.

Expansion of Strategic Market Position

Following the acquisition of the market-leading cable operator B.net in 2011, Vipnet will now be able to further expand its scope of action to include satellite TV and, thus, address new customers countrywide. Digi TV will be integrated into Vipnet, and satellite television will become a standard part of the service offering under the Vip brand.

“The acquisition of Digi TV considerably strengthens our position as a convergent service provider on the Croatian communications market. I’m confident that, thanks to this new acquisition, Vipnet will now address new customer segments and generate significant customer growth as we will offer TV services both via cable and satellite” said Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO Telekom Austria Group and A1.

Up until now, Vipnet has offered fixed line and mobile internet as well as cable TV in addition to mobile and fixed line telephony. With the new portfolio of satellite TV services, Vipnet will now be in a position to cover all target groups across the country. The main goal of the Croatian subsidiary is to provide new services to current customer segments and, therefore, to better fulfill their expectations.

“We are delighted about the expansion of our portfolio. The acquisition of Digi TV turns Vipnet into a full player and a comprehensive communications service provider”, said Mladen Pejković, CEO of the Croatian subsidiary Vipnet.

The acquisition of the Croatian satellite TV provider marks a further important milestone in Telekom Austria Group’s convergence strategy. Austria’s largest communications operator has long positioned itself as innovation leader and provider of convergent services also in the CEE area. The main target of Telekom Austria Group going forward is to offer a comprehensive service portfolio across its operational footprint through the consistent implementation of its convergence strategy.