# UK watchdog refers Vodafone, Three deal to in-depth probe
Author: Pal sinha, Barnali
Author URL: https://startupobserver.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali/
Published: 2024-04-04
Category: Headlines
Category URL: https://startupobserver.com/category/headlines/
Meta Title: UK watchdog refers Vodafone, Three deal to in-depth probe
Meta Description: Britain's competition regulator to investigate Vodafone-Three merger due to concerns over reduced competition and potential price increases.
URL: https://startupobserver.com/uk-watchdog-refers-vodafone-three-deal-to-in-depth-probe/

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(Reuters) -Britain’s competition regulator said on [Thursday](https://startupobserver.com/bitcoin-falls-7-4-to-40632/) it would need to open an in-depth investigation into the merger between Vodafone’s UK operation and Hutchison’s Three UK after the parties did not offer remedies to ease the regulator’s competition concerns.

The $19 billion tie-up, which was announced last year, will reduce the number of networks from four to [three,](https://startupobserver.com/uk-employers-give-joint-lowest-pay-rises-since-june-2022-brightmine-says/) challenging the long-held tenet that four help keep prices low.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said last month the deal risked leaving consumers worse off and asked the companies to respond with “meaningful solutions” to its concerns that the merger will result in higher prices for consumers and businesses and lower investment.

“On 28 March 2024, the Parties informed the CMA that they would not be offering any undertakings,” the [regulator](https://startupobserver.com/german-network-regulator-names-2nd-managing-director-of-rosneft-deutschland/) said in a statement on [Thursday.](https://startupobserver.com/bitcoin-falls-7-4-to-40632/)

(Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)


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