11 Bulgarian Internet, TV Providers Unite in National Telecom

At least 11 providers of Internet and cable television that operate on the territory of 40 Bulgaria cities and 110 towns and villages will merge into one company, called “Bulgarian Telecom and Television” (BTT).

The companies that will be included in the new holding are Networks Bulgaria, Digital Communications, Escom, Icon, Telnet, CTV, Balchik Net, Optinet, Diana Cable TV, Powernet and BOL.bg.

The new holding has announced that it would provide services to more than 150,000 users across the country and it would cover about a million households.

The merger is the largest in the telecom industry in Bulgarian in terms of the number of companies that will be included. The goal is to expand the business and to achieve full national coverage.

BTT has also announced it will develop its own brand and will work on launching new services, including mobile internet (GSM, 4G, WiFi).

The CEO of Powernet, Dimitar Hinkov, will be appointed CEO of BTT, while Emilian Dikov, the director of Networks Bulgaria, will be Chair of the Board of Directors.

The merger comes two months after Bulgaria’s largest mobile operator, Mobiltel, acquired two of the biggest alternative providers of Internet and IP-based services, Megalan Network and Spectrum Net.