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UK: BT’s £12.5bn merger with EE set to be finalised after six-month investigation

By  |  January 14, 2016

BT’s takeover of EE, Britain’s biggest mobile operator, should be cleared by the competition watchdog on Friday amid fears a telecoms giant would stifle the market and increase customers’ bills.

The landmark deal would create a communications behemoth that will provide mobile, fixed-line phones, broadband and TV to around 35m customers.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is widely expected to approve the merger, which affects 31pc of UK mobile customers, on Friday after six months of deliberations.

BT will take control of EE as two of its competitors, O2 and Three, also plan to unite in a shake-up that could shrink the UK mobile market to just three network operators. The European Commission is investigating O2’s plans in a separate inquiry, with an outcome due in the spring.

Full content: The Telegraph

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