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Germany: EC telco questionnaire hints at trouble brewing

By  |  January 27, 2014

The European Commission reportedly sent out a questionnaire to various telecommunications companies reportedly suggests the regulator is concerned about various issues in the German market regarding Telefonica Deutschland and the German unit of Royal KPN.

The companies inked a deal last summer to merge for nearly $11.7 billion. But according to reports, the Commission’s inquiry into network sharing agreements and radio spectrum allocation suggest authorities are concerned about the telco deal.

The questionnaire reportedly asks telcos about retail and wholesale market pricing and competition in Germany. Further, authorities are looking for input on how a merger would affect radio allocation. If the Telefonica/KPN deal is cleared, it would create the largest wireless operator in the nation, reducing the number of national competitors from four to three.

Full Content: Wall Street Journal

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