Watchdog approves £15bn Vodafone-Three UK deal despite higher bills fears Britain's competition regulator has approved the £15billion merger of Three UK and Vodafone, clearing the way for the creation of the country's biggest mobile operator.
Vodafone will hold a 51 per cent stake in the enlarged business but have an option to buy CK Hutchison Group's 49 per cent stake three years after the deal is finalised, depending on certain conditions.
First announced in June 2023, the merger will create the UK's largest mobile operator, with around 27 million customers, and cut the number of operators from four to three.
The Competition and Markets Authority said on Thursday the deal can proceed if the two firms agree to spend billions rolling out a combined 5G network across the UK.
Vodafone and Three UK, whose parent company is Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison, have pledged to invest £11billion creating such a network over the next decade.
