With consolidation in the UK and France awaiting regulatory approval, this quarter’s results focused on merger reviews, while satellite was again framed as a complement, rather than a threat, to terrestrial networks
Consolidation of the Swedish broadband market
The competition authority concluded that two deals involving major operators would not harm the existence or development of effective competition
BEREC’s reality check on European telecoms
Value for money for consumers remains a clear EU strength, while operators’ financial health does not warrant ripping up sector-specific or merger control regulation
The prospect of three-to-two consolidation in Malta
Melita failed with a similar merger in 2017, but is hopeful that a recognition of heightened customer and investment demands will lead to a different decision this time around
The state of broadband deployment in the US
The FCC’s latest progress report has exposed internal divisions on the role of satellite in helping to deliver high-speed connectivity nationwide
nexfibre/Netomnia: Responses to the CMA’s areas of focus document
Submissions point to a divide among the altnet community on the transaction’s likely impact on infrastructure competition, the retail market and end users
Q2 2026 European operator results: Regulatory and policy highlights
CEOs welcomed spectrum- and sovereignty-related developments, highlighting the ongoing execution of their respective strategies while downplaying the risks presented by satellite providers
The CMA’s priorities for the nexfibre/Netomnia merger review
Identification of the appropriate counterfactual is an intriguing question that leaves the parties with some immediate work to do
Norway: Telenor/GlobalConnect secures conditional approval
Structural commitments will minimise the potential consumer impact of a deal between the former incumbent and a smaller, competing fibre network
France: The planned carve-up of SFR
Three separate merger notifications to two different competition authorities provides for an atypical, and complex, review process
