UK clears Viasat’s multi-billion-dollar buyout of satellite rival Inmarsat

LONDON: Britain provisionally cleared satellite company Viasat’s buyout of rival Inmarsat on Wednesday, saying the $7.3 billion deal would not substantially reduce competition in the supply of wifi on commercial flights.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that while the two companies competed to provide airlines with in-flight broadband, the sector was expanding rapidly with the entry of new players such as Elon Musk’s Starlink.