AT&T’s $85 bn Time Warner deal gets approval in Europe

AT&T data plansWireless operator AT&T has received approval from the European Commission for its $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner.

The No. 2 U.S. wireless carrier said on Wednesday that the merger is expected to close by the end of the year.

U.S. President Donald Trump, during his election campaign, said that he opposes the merger, and in January a transition official told Reuters that Trump was still against the deal.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission does not expect to review the deal, a spokesman for the agency said last month. FCC chairman Ajit Pai is said to be one of the supporters of mergers that assist consumers.

“We appreciate the skilled work of the European Commission’s team for their timely effort to analyze and clear the AT&T-Time Warner merger,” said Bob Quinn, senior executive vice president, AT&T External and Legislative Affairs.