CMA flags UK fibre competition concerns over nexfibre-Netomnia deal

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has provisionally found that nexfibre's planned acquisition of Netomnia's parent Substantial Group would "likely" substantially lessen wholesale fibre competition. The CMA published its interim report today and opened a consultation that closes on 23 October.

Netomnia counts more than 3 million premises marked as ready for service across its wholesale fibre footprint. Nexfibre operates as a joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica — joint parents of cable operator VMO2 — alongside infrastructure investor InfraVia.

How did nexfibre respond?

The shareholders' consortium rejected the provisional ruling outright. "The interim report does not reflect the commercial and competitive reality of Britain's fibre market," the group's emailed statement said. "It fails to prioritise the fibre investment the country needs, and the creation of a scaled, sustainable challenger to Openreach."

Nexfibre has framed itself as the main wholesale alternative to BT's Openreach access division, which retains dominant share in UK fibre.

Why does CityFibre want the deal blocked?

CityFibre, the UK's largest altnet, has campaigned against the transaction throughout. The CMA report records that CityFibre lodged a competing bid for Netomnia that would likely have succeeded absent nexfibre.

"The CMA is right that this proposed transaction would significantly reduce competition and risks the benefits being delivered for UK consumers: faster speeds, greater innovation and lower prices," a CityFibre spokesperson said. "After recognising that harm, it is vital that the CMA takes the next step and blocks the deal."

What else moved in EMEA this week?

Austrian operator A1 unveiled Super SIM, a managed connectivity service aimed at businesses and public-sector bodies with mission-critical needs. A1 will use network slicing to prioritise selected traffic, with optional VPN and APN add-ons.

In France, Altice-owned SFR expanded its cybersecurity offer to medium-sized businesses through a new SmartSOC Expert package. The service draws on a Security Operations Center the operator opened recently in Paris and includes Microsoft 365 monitoring alongside external attack-surface analysis. The launch comes as SFR itself faces a possible breakup between rival mobile operators.

Spain-based Sateliot launched five more satellites to extend its 5G non-terrestrial network for IoT. The flight lifts the operator's constellation to 11 low-Earth orbit satellites in total.

In Belgium, the King Baudouin Foundation published a report on digital inclusion. It found 39% of Belgians aged 16 to 74 faced digital vulnerabilities in 2025, rising to 81% in the 75-89 cohort. The foundation noted a shift in the nature of inequality, with digital literacy — including the ability to spot AI-generated content — playing a bigger role. It recorded that 42% of respondents had used AI in the prior three months, with wide age-based gaps.

What happens next?

The CMA's consultation on the nexfibre-Netomnia transaction closes on 23 October. The final ruling will determine whether one of the UK's largest remaining altnets ends up consolidated under nexfibre's wholesale umbrella or transfers to CityFibre.