Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent have received the last of the regulatory approvals they require from the U.S. for their €15.6 billion merger.
Nokia on Monday announced that the companies have been given the go-ahead for the deal by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
"With the conclusion of the CFIUS process and the previously announced antitrust clearance by the U.S. Department of Justice, the companies have received the required regulatory approvals for the proposed transaction in the United States," the Finnish vendor said, in a statement.
The firms got the green light from the DoJ in June. At that time they said approvals from China, the European Commission, and four other jurisdictions were still outstanding.
The European Commission cleared the acquisition a month later and the firms have made some progress in China.
In late August Nokia brokered a deal with Alcatel-Lucent’s Chinese partner China Huaxin that will enable it to combine its infrastructure business in the country with Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell. Nokia will hold 50% plus one share of the new entity, which will be known as Nokia Shanghai Bell. The deal will help it to work towards regulatory approvals in China.
"Both companies will continue to work closely with the few remaining antitrust authorities in the relevant jurisdictions to conclude their regulatory reviews as quickly as possible," Nokia said on Monday, without mentioning China by name.
The vendors reiterated their goal to close the deal in the first half of next year.
