Vodafone-Three merger could get green light, watchdog says

The regulator says a merger betwixt Vodafone and Three could spell up - if some companies marque terms promises for consumers and perpetrate to boosting the UK's 5G rollout.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had antecedently said that creating what would beryllium the country's biggest mobile web could thrust up prices and harm competition.

But it has present provisionally concluded those concerns could beryllium addressed - and the merger could proceed - if the firms hold to its projected remedies.

A Vodafone spokesperson said some companies would request to survey the CMA's connection much intimately but believed connected archetypal impressions it "provides a way to last clearance".

They insisted, arsenic they person throughout, that the woody was successful everyone's interests.

"It volition bring important benefits to businesses and consumers passim the UK, and it volition bring precocious 5G to each schoolhouse and infirmary crossed the country," they said.

The CMA's findings are the latest measurement successful its probe into the merger, which began successful January.

Vodafone and Three announced their plans to merge their UK-based operations successful June past year.

Their combined web would person astir 27 cardinal customers.

"We judge this woody has the imaginable to beryllium pro-competitive for the UK mobile assemblage if our concerns are addressed," said Stuart McIntosh, who is starring the CMA sheet investigating the merger.

"We expect successful the longer word that the important committedness to upgrade the merged companies web implicit the adjacent 10 years oregon truthful volition yet make a competitory situation that volition support the contention we've seen successful mobile successful caller years," helium told the Today programme, connected BBC Radio Four.

But helium besides made wide that abbreviated word commitments not to summation the terms of definite existing mobile tariffs and information plans for astatine slightest 3 years were besides cardinal to making definite consumers did not suffer out.

The regulator besides said upholding pre-agreed deals oregon prices with Mobile Virtual Network Operators specified arsenic Sky Mobile, Lyca and Lebara could support consumers and and wholesale customers alike.

The CMA is seeking responses to its projected remedies by 12 November, with a deadline of 7 December for a last determination connected the merger.