Mergers between two mobile network operators in the same country tend to draw considerable scrutiny under competition rules.
Out of the 13 such mobile mergers that were notified to competition authorities in the European Economic Area since 2004, 11 faced some form of intervention, with 3 transactions being ultimately blocked or withdrawn due to competition concerns.
Cullen International’s new Antitrust & Mergers Explainer looks at the assessment of mobile mergers, focusing on the European Commission’s case law over the past 20 years.
The Explainer examines the types of competition concerns the Commission has raised about mobile mergers and the evidence it typically relies on for its competitive assessment.
It also explores the evolution of the Commission’s practice regarding the commitments that the merging operators must offer to address competition problems.
For more information and to access the full report, please click on “Access the full content” - or on “Request Access”, in case you are not subscribed to the Antitrust & Mergers service.
more news
10 July 25
WhatsApp and other communication apps must allow legal interception in less than half of the EU countries
Our new pan-European benchmark examines national rules of lawful interception obligations for number-independent interpersonal communications service providers, such as WhatsApp.
09 July 25
Countries tighten IoT rules with new security, numbering and device measures
Our Quarterly Regulatory Update on IoT and M2M Services (Q2 2025) highlights how national regulators are shaping the future of IoT and M2M services in areas such as cross-border connectivity, device regulation, and security.
08 July 25
Copper decommissioning emerges as critical challenge in global transition to gigabit networks
Our latest Global Trends report examines how 15 major markets are approaching the transition from legacy copper infrastructure to future-proof gigabit networks.