With renewed calls for in-market consolidation and pending transactions in two European countries, it is timely to revisit previous merger review decisions. We’ve analysed the commitments in four deals and considered the impacts they had on the market
Competition in digital markets: Comparing regulatory regimes
Antitrust has done little to deter anti-competitive behaviour by big tech, and so a preference for ex-ante rules has emerged. From market definition through to the appeals process, we assess how these regimes intended to curb the power of big tech compare
Three/Vodafone: What would be the chances of regulatory approval?
Past attempts at 4-to-3 mobile mergers indicate a high bar for approval. Though wholesale competition concerns could be overcome, the risk of price rises for consumers and mid-band spectrum holdings present more of a challenge to getting a deal through
From ex-post to ex-ante: the shift in oversight of Big Tech
Fines levied against Big Tech from ex-post competition investigations have totalled more than £14bn since 2017. But competition authorities are now gaining powers to prevent anti-competitive conduct ex-ante, rather than wait to intervene once it’s happened
