Mobile World Live (MWL) brings you our top three picks of the week as the CMA appeared to inch closer to approving a merger between Vodafone and 3 UK, BT Group mulled the sale of its international enterprise unit and analysts assessed the potential impact of Donald Trump’s return as US president.
CMA signals path forward for Vodafone, 3 UK deal
What happened: The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gave its strongest indication to date that it will approve Vodafone and 3 UK’s proposed merger, with the decision largely hinging on the companies following through on pledges to address competition concerns.
Why it matters: The regulator stated following an investigation it had provisionally found a commitment by the pair to invest €11 billion in network upgrades post-merger, alongside short-term customer protections, could address its concerns.
“A legally binding network commitment would boost competition in the longer term and the additional measures would protect consumers and wholesale customers while the network upgrades are being rolled out,” stated Stuart McIntosh, chair of the inquiry group leading the investigation.
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BT international unit reportedly up for sale
What happened: BT Group is reportedly exploring the sale of its international enterprise division as part of CEO Allison Kirkby’s ongoing efforts to refocus the company.
Why it matters: A report in newspaper The Mail on Sunday claimed Kirkby was determined to shift the asset and was open to offers for the division, which is the part of BT Business serving multinational customers. The newspaper’s sources stated potential suitors include private equity companies as well as Verizon, Amazon and Microsoft.
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Feature: What does Trump US election win mean for telecom?
What happened: Donald Trump was elected to his second term as president of the US, which could have far-reaching implications for the telecommunications industry.
Why it matters: The clearest takeaway is the likely change at the helm of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with senior Republican commissioner Brendan Carr the odds-on favourite to be named chair. Other potential actions could include pouring cold water on recent attempts to review net neutrality laws and reinstating spectrum auction authority to the FCC.
“Sadly, the FCC has languished under the Biden Administration without spectrum authority,” Strand Consult analyst John Strand said.
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