US DoJ gives nod to Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent merger

NEW DELHI: The United States Department of Justice has granted early termination of the US anti-trust waiting period for the merger of Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent, permitting the transaction to proceed.

Early termination of the US antitrust waiting period takes us one important step closer to the closing of the pending transaction, the companies said in a joint statement.

The parties continue to make good progress with the regulatory approval processes in the remaining relevant jurisdictions, with both of them having already obtained antitrust clearances in Brazil and Serbia. Both companies will continue to cooperate with the remaining authorities to close their reviews as quickly as possible.

The transaction remains subject to approval by Nokia shareholders. Nokia holds over 50% of the share capital of Alcatel-Lucent on a fully diluted basis upon completion of the public exchange offer. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2016.