The 15 billion pound merger
The UK antitrust authority, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has announced that the £15 billion merger between Vodafone Group and Three could be approved, provided that the companies commit to investing in upgrading the UK’s mobile network. This agreement would represent a significant restructuring of the British telecommunications market, aggregating two of the smallest mobile operators and creating a new leader in terms of
revenues.
Commitments to consumer protection
The CMA emphasized the importance of implementing measures that protect customers, to avoid potential price increases that could result from the merger. This aspect is crucial, as British consumers have already expressed concerns about the costs of mobile phone services. The supervisory body’s final decision is expected on December 7, and future developments could have a significant impact on the UK telecommunications market
.
A late mobile service
Vodafone and Three have argued that the merger could lead to an improvement in mobile service in the United Kingdom, which is currently considered backward compared to much of the rest of Europe. The aggregation of resources and investments could allow for a modernization of the network, thus improving the quality of service for consumers. However, it remains to be seen whether such promises will be enough to convince the antitrust authority and the consumers
themselves.