Commenting on the announcement that Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa is in talks to buy O2 from Telefonica, Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at Uswitch.com, says:
“If Hutchison Whampoa pulls it off, the fear is the consolidation of two of the big four UK mobile networks could have a knock-on effect on prices due to a less competitive market.
“But the UK has a reputation as one of the most cut-throat mobile markets in the world, and the move towards quad-play – where phone, broadband, TV and mobile services come from a single supplier – enabled by potential mega mergers like EE and BT, should keep competition fierce in the coming months.
“The UK’s 4G auction was on the condition there would be four major networks and this deal could mean there will only be three. We must wait to see what the competition authorities in Brussels make of the merger but the EU has approved similar deals in the past. The battle lines for the future of the mobile market are certainly being drawn with these acquisition talks.
“Three and O2 have quite similar brands. Both have a focus on consumer benefits and offer core services like 4G without a premium. It remains to be seen whether Three’s major perks, like unlimited data, can be sustained with such a large influx of customers.”
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Charlotte Nunes
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