Vodafone–Three merger under scrutiny from Competition and Markets Authority

Published by

Daniel Face

Vodafone UK’s Newbury headquarters

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched phase 1 of its investigation into Newbury-based Vodafone UK’s joint venture agreement with Three UK.

It’s looking into whether the deal may lead to a ‘substantial lessening of competition’ – and if so, whether a more in-depth phase 2 investigation is required.

The agreement would see both companies combine their telecommunications operations under a single network provider.

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Having received pre-notification evidence and information from both Vodafone and Three, as well as early views from stakeholders, the CMA is now ready to begin its investigation.

Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: “This deal would bring together two of the major players in the UK telecommunications market, which is critical to millions of everyday customers, businesses and the wider economy.

“The CMA will assess how this tie-up between rival networks could impact competition before deciding next steps.

“We now have 40 working days to complete this formal phase 1 investigation before publishing our findings and any next steps.”

Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL. Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience. Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.