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The UK competition regulator has approved the £16.5bn merger of Vodafone’s domestic business with CK Hutchison’s Three UK, which is expected to create Britain’s largest mobile operator.
The Competition and Markets Authority on Thursday said the deal should be allowed to proceed if both companies sign binding commitments to invest billions to roll out a combined 5G network across the UK, as well as shorter term customer protections.
The CMA last month paved the way for the tie-up after announcing it could proceed as long as the companies addressed competition concerns.
In September the watchdog said that the merger could lead to higher bills for tens of millions of customers and demanded changes.
The tie-up, first announced in 2023, will reduce the number of operators in the UK from four to three.
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