Following an 18-month investigation, the UK’s competition watchdog says the proposed £15bn merger between Vodafone and Three could get the green light if concerns are addressed.
In 2023, Vodafone and Three announced they were set to merge. The £15bn tie-up would reduce the number of mobile network operators from the ‘big four’ to three, with the other two being O2 and EE.
The merger would create the largest mobile operator in the UK, with more than 27 million customers.
In March 2024, UK watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) referred the Vodafone-Three deal to an in-depth probe. It said the deal risked leaving consumers worse off, with concerns that the merger would result in higher prices for consumers and businesses and lower investment.
The proposed deal also sparked security concerns over Three owner CK Hutchison, which has Chinese ownership.
Following a five-month investigation, in September 2024 the CMA announced its provisional findings of the proposed merger.
It warned...