Sarajevo, October 15 2025 – The Competition Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina has conditionally approved the planned acquisition of Telemach BH by BH Telecom, following a detailed market assessment of the transaction’s effects on internet, fixed telephony, and audiovisual content services.
Conditions to Address Market Dominance
The Council found that the unrestricted implementation of the deal could strengthen BH Telecom’s dominant position and distort market structure. The transaction was therefore cleared, subject to six corrective measures designed to safeguard market competition.
The measures include limits on retail price increases, obligations to maintain existing subscription terms, strict separation of commercially sensitive information between the two companies, and restrictions on further acquisitions in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s telecommunications market.
BH Telecom must also ensure that Telemach does not apply for a mobile frequency licence and is required to divest part of Telemach within 18 months to reduce its fixed internet market share by three percentage points.
Oversight and Implementation
The Council noted that the transaction is currently based on a Letter of Intent, as the purchase agreement has not yet been submitted. The authority emphasized that it does not decide on the acquisition itself but assesses its competitive impact under Article 17 of the Law on Competition.
Implementation of the imposed conditions will be monitored jointly by the authority and an independent auditor, with updates to be made public.
Source: https://bihkonk.gov.ba/en/press-release-the-competition-council-of-bosnia-and-herzegovina-has-adopted-decision-on-a-conditionally-permitted-concentration/
