Vodafone's U.K. Merger With Three Raises Competition Concern, Regulator Says

By Adria Calatayud

Vodafone Group's deal to merge its U.K. business with rival operator Three raises competition concerns, the U.K.'s antitrust authority said.

The Competition and Markets Authority said Friday that an in-depth probe into the deal provisionally concluded the combination could result in higher prices for tens of millions of mobile customers in the U.K. and not necessarily lead to higher network investments, findings that the companies rejected.

"Vodafone and Three UK disagree with the CMA's provisional findings that their merger raises competition concerns and could lead to price rises for customers," the companies said.

The CMA will consider potential solutions to its concerns before making a final decision by Dec. 7.

Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 13, 2024 02:37 ET (06:37 GMT)

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