Nokia Wins Approval for Alcatel Deal as EU Sees Samsung Rivalry

Nokia Oyj’s bid for Alcatel-Lucent SA won unconditional approval from European Union merger watchdogs who predicted growing rivalry with Samsung Electronics Co. in evolving markets for mobile-phone technology.

The transaction to create the biggest maker of equipment that underpins mobile-phone networks won’t prevent tough competition in Europe from Ericsson AB and Huawei Technologies Co. across the 28-nation EU, the European Commission said in an e-mailed statement on Friday. Other global competitors such as Samsung and ZTE Corp. are on the rise, the regulator said.