Rogers, Shaw sign agreement to sell Freedom Mobile to Quebecor

Adds CEO comment, background

Aug 12 (Reuters) - Rogers Communications Inc RCIb.TO and Shaw Communications Inc SJRb.TO have finalised an agreement to sell Freedom Mobile to Videotron, a unit of Quebecor Inc QBRb.TO, the companies said on Friday, paving the way for a merger of Canada's biggest telecom companies.

Canada's antitrust agency blocked Rogers' C$20 billion acquisition of Shaw in May saying it would lessen competition in the country's concentrated telecoms market, where customers pay among the highest bills.

"This agreement with Quebecor brings us one step closer to completing our merger with Shaw," Rogers Chief Executive Tony Staffieri said.

The companies said the Freedom Mobile deal was subject to regulatory approvals and closing of the Rogers-Shaw merger.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Shounak Dasgupta)

((Akash.Sriram@thomsonreuters.com; https://twitter.com/hoodieonveshti))

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.