Despite being in line with the preliminary view, there is still a chance the AdC’s decision could be appealed directly to the Minister of Economy, although this mechanism has only been invoked (successfully) once before
EC: Protecting competition in a changing world
DG COMP research shows that mobile prices in the EU are consistently lower than in the US, but that consolidation tends to increase prices and may not deliver greater investment
UK: Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 extend network sharing agreement
Together with a balancing of spectrum across industry, the announcement boosts the chances of a Three/Vodafone merger
US: FCC proposes a ban on phone locking
The US would join only a handful of other countries that have pursued a ban on SIM locking to encourage greater competition at the retail level
Sweden poised to miss national broadband target
Despite continued investment from industry in addition to public subsidies, the PTS believes that it will be difficult to meet all of the Government’s objectives
Spain extends spectrum licences at no extra cost
The Government will lengthen usage rights by up to 10 years but wants to see operators invest in return
Three/Vodafone in the UK: The merging parties’ case to the CMA
Responding to the CMA’s critical Phase 1 assessment, the parties emphasise that the deal will be pro-competitive, enhancing network performance and benefiting consumers
Canada: Expanding mobile services via satellite
ISED’s proposed framework identifies six bands that could be repurposed as it seeks to boost mobile coverage and competition in unconnected areas
Three/Vodafone in the UK: The rivals’ views on the proposed merger
The pressure is on for the merging parties to evidence the benefits of the deal and outline a meaningful set of commitments
Mobile market consolidation in the US
T-Mobile claims acquiring UScellular will boost competition, but M&A in such a concentrated market will attract scrutiny over the potential effects on pricing and consumers
