The EC has issued a wake-up call to Member States, with many not currently making sufficient progress to meet key 2030 connectivity targets
Portugal: Vodafone/Nowo merger blocked
Despite being in line with the preliminary view, there is still a chance the AdC’s decision could be appealed directly to the Minister of Economy, although this mechanism has only been invoked (successfully) once before
Event debrief: Fixing the Information Crisis
Despite its journalism-centric billing, the conference offered a range of discussions on how to update the regulation of US communications markets
UK: Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 extend network sharing agreement
Together with a balancing of spectrum across industry, the announcement boosts the chances of a Three/Vodafone merger
Spain extends spectrum licences at no extra cost
The Government will lengthen usage rights by up to 10 years but wants to see operators invest in return
Canada: Expanding mobile services via satellite
ISED’s proposed framework identifies six bands that could be repurposed as it seeks to boost mobile coverage and competition in unconnected areas
Three/Vodafone in the UK: The rivals’ views on the proposed merger
The pressure is on for the merging parties to evidence the benefits of the deal and outline a meaningful set of commitments
Mobile market consolidation in the US
T-Mobile claims acquiring UScellular will boost competition, but M&A in such a concentrated market will attract scrutiny over the potential effects on pricing and consumers
Germany: Spectrum licence renewal rather than revocation and reallocation
While BNetzA has changed tack in its approach to the assignment of key bands, neither established mobile operators nor the new entrant are fully on side
Australia: Meeting future spectrum demands
There has been a flurry of spectrum-related activities, with the regulator consulting on expiring licences alongside its plan for the use of new frequencies
