Vodafone and Three will have to wait longer for approval of their £15bn planned merger from the UK’s competition regulator.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced it has extended the time needed to investigate the deal.
The merger plans, which would create the UK’s largest mobile phone network, have been under scrutiny since their announcement last summer.
The two companies claim the merger will enable greater investment in their services and allow them to better compete with major rivals EE (operated by BT) and Virgin Media-O2.
In an update published on Friday, the CMA stated it is extending the deadline to complete the investigation and publish its findings to December 7.
The extension is due to the “very wide scope” of the inquiry and the “technical and regulatory complexity of the sector,” according to the watchdog. It has also been reviewing substantial amounts of evidence provided by both companies.
A Vodafone spokesman said it is “not unusual” for the regulator to extend its investigations. He added:
“We appreciate the additional time it is taking to assess the extensive evidence submitted, which sets out how this transaction will significantly benefit over 50 million mobile customers, enhance competition, and help transform the UK’s digital infrastructure.”
