Claro completes purchase of 72.83% of Brazilian broadband provider Desktop for R$1.75 billion; tender offer and B3 exit to follow

Claro completes purchase of 72.83% of Brazilian broadband provider Desktop for R$1.75 billion; tender offer and B3 exit to follow

1 October 2026: Claro, the Brazilian arm of the telecoms group, closed its purchase of control of the listed internet provider Desktop on Thursday 1 October 2026. Through its Claro NXT Telecomunicacoes unit it bought 84.7 million ordinary shares, 72.83% of Desktop's capital and voting stock, for R$1.747 billion. The deal had been announced in March and had cleared its regulatory approvals before closing.

Not yet independently verified. The tender-offer price of R$19.1261 a share and the 5 October filing come from Teletime's report of Desktop's material fact, and the closing figures from Telesintese and DPL News; we have not read the CVM filings themselves. We will update this when it can be confirmed, and remove this note.

What changed

Telesintese reports that the total price, including the guarantee account, works out at R$20.63 a share, subject to the adjustments in the contract; the R$1.620 billion paid at closing is R$19.13 a share. Of the total, R$1.620 billion was paid at closing, including R$20 million held back against a possible debt adjustment, and a further R$127.5 million sits in a guarantee account to cover seller indemnities, released monthly under a schedule. The final figure can still change once Desktop's net debt at 30 September 2026 has been calculated. The shares came from the Makalu fund and four individual shareholders, including the founder.

Management has already changed. Rodrigo Marques, Claro's chief executive, is now also Desktop's chief executive, and Roberto Catalao Cardoso took over finance and investor relations. The founder, Denio Alves Lindo, left the executive board, as did four other directors, although the report says they remain with the company in new posts.

On 5 October Claro NXT and Desktop filed with the securities regulator, CVM, for a unified public tender offer for the remaining shareholders at R$19.1261 a share, the price paid at closing corrected by the Selic rate from 1 October (Teletime, 5 October). It is combined with the conversion of Desktop's CVM registration from category A to B and its exit from the Novo Mercado listing segment of the B3 exchange. Claro and Desktop have not said whether a merger or other corporate reorganisation will follow.

Who is affected

Desktop's business and corporate customers, and the resellers and partners that rely on its regional fibre network, now deal with a company controlled by a national operator. Minority shareholders face the coming tender offer. Competing regional providers face a larger rival in fixed broadband, where Claro says the aim is to integrate Desktop's customers, network and regional presence.

What to do

• Customers and partners: check the change-of-control and assignment clauses in your Desktop contracts, and ask your account manager whether service terms, billing entities or support routes will change.
• Keep current contacts and service levels confirmed in writing until Claro states its integration plan.
• Minority shareholders: the filing sets the price at R$19.1261 a share corrected by the Selic; the timetable is not stated in the reports we read.
• Rival providers and wholesale buyers: review any supply or interconnection contracts that depended on Desktop's network, and note that the final purchase price is still open to adjustment.

Sources

• Telesintese: Claro conclui compra da Desktop e assume controle - 2 October 2026
• DPL News: Claro fecha compra da Desktop por R$ 1,75 bilhao - 2 October 2026
• Teletime: Claro protocola oferta publica para fechar capital da Desktop - 5 October 2026