Mobile phone bills may surge by up to £300 per year due to the merging of Vodafone and Three UK, according to a trade union. Unite, an advocate against the proposed merger, criticizes the deal as “terrible” and raises concerns about national security.
Unite’s investigative researcher, George Stevenson, describes the merger as harmful for Britain and warns of increased prices and job cuts. He urges regulators and the government to thoroughly scrutinize the merger.
In 2016, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the European Commission prevented Three’s takeover of O2, citing concerns about increased prices. To alleviate these concerns, Vodafone and Three UK have pledged £11bn for 5G infrastructure over the next decade.
Recently, the UK competition watchdog invited competitors and other interested parties to share their views on the proposed merger. The CMA aims to assess the impact of the merger on the telecoms market.
If the merger goes ahead, the combined company will become the largest mobile operator in the UK, surpassing BT-owned EE and Spain’s Telefónica-owned Virgin Media O2, with over 27 million subscribers.
Although the deal is expected to face scrutiny from the CMA, the UK telecoms regulator Ofcom, which previously opposed consolidation in the sector to protect consumers, has now adopted a more open stance.
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