In comparison to its interventionist approach to regulating the terms of tariffs, the NCC adopted scaled-back versions of advertising rules in place around the world
Portugal: Market restructuring after a failed attempt at consolidation
The combination of the country’s fourth operator (Nowo) and a new entrant (Digi) may be an opportunity to intensify competition facing the ‘big three’ providers
Germany’s Gigabit Offensive
Despite more public funding and new legislation to accelerate network deployments, the Government has been accused of prioritising mobile connectivity over fibre
Growing second-hand device markets
While limited supply of devices continues to slow growth for resale markets, operators and regulators have also looked to improving the longevity of devices
Declining returns on investment
Findings from the PTS in Sweden contradict some of those drawn by the EC, challenging the idea that the US telecoms market is a much more profitable place to invest
Spectrum: Annual licence fees to be reviewed in the UK
While Ofcom will only review the amount charged rather than the regime itself, the EU is considering broader changes to spectrum management practices
Germany: Long-awaited restrictions on Huawei and ZTE
Mobile operators have agreed to phase out the firms from their 5G networks, with almost 20 other countries already having imposed restrictions on equipment vendors
Portugal: Vodafone/Nowo merger blocked
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
