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Microsoft to get EU approval for $7.3B Nokia deal, report says

It looks to be smooth sailing as Microsoft takes over Nokia's devices and services business.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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Roger Cheng
Nokia

Microsoft will soon have its smartphone business.

The Redmond, Wash., software giant is set to win unconditional regulatory approval from the European Union, according to Reuters, which cited people familiar with the matter.

The deal is virtually done, with Nokia shareholders having already given it their okay earlier this week. Microsoft is also set to take over Nokia's headquarters in Espoo, Finland.

The $7.3 billion deal would nab Microsoft the phone (and now tablet) business of Nokia, while the networks business would remain independent. With Nokia, Microsoft will have its own in-house devices division to build Windows Phone and Windows 8 products.

While Windows Phone is available through multiple vendors, Nokia has really been the only partner to take the platform seriously enough to put it at the forefront of its strategy. Many of the other companies continue to rely on the much more popular Android platform.

The EU has set a December 4 deadline for the decision, according to Reuters. Other regulators have given the deal a green light, although workers in China are protesting the deal.

Microsoft declined to comment, while Nokia couldn't be reached.