Tens of millions of mobile phone users could end up paying more if the merger between Vodafone and Three goes ahead, the competition watchdog has warned.
The deal would create the UK’s biggest mobile network and could also improve network quality, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said.
But claims of providing a faster 5g network are “overstated”, it added, and the new combined network would not “necessarily have the incentive” to follow through on its investment and improvement plan.
The CMA will now consider how the companies could address those concerns.
The regulator had announced an in-depth investigation in April over fears the merger could “result in a substantial lessening of competition”.
Mobile phone users could face higher prices and reduced quality of service if the plans went ahead, it added.
The proposed £15bn merger, announced last year, would bring 27 million customers together under a single provider.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Source Agencies
