Nokia is reportedly on the brink of gaining European Commission (EC) approval for a $2.3 billion deal to buy optical semiconductor and networking equipment vendor Infinera.

Reuters stated the EC is expected to grant unconditional clearance.

An EC representative told Mobile World Live the provisional deadline for the merger decision is 26 February.

Nokia stated in its Q4 2024 earnings report it expects the deal to close in the current quarter.

When the deal was announced in June 2024, Nokia noted 60 per cent of Infinera’s revenue comes from North America, an area of growth for the Finnish vendor.

Nokia expects Infinera to complement its position in the optical sector in APAC, EMEA and Latin America.

Reuters reported the addition of Infinera will make Nokia the second-largest vendor in the optical networking market after Huawei, with a 20 per cent share.