Ofcom chief warns Europe on O2 deal

Ofcom does not rule on mergers but does feed opinion into the competition regulators
Ofcom does not rule on mergers but does feed opinion into the competition regulators
JOHN D MCHUGH/GETTY

Sharon White, the head of Ofcom, has expressed her concerns that the takeover of O2 by Three, its smaller rival, will lead to less competition and higher prices to Europe’s regulators.

Ms White, writing in the Financial Times, said markets that have allowed the number of mobile networks to consolidate to three players are typically up to 20 per cent more expensive than those that still have four networks competing with each other.

Ofcom does not rule on mergers but does feed opinion into the competition regulators.

Ms White’s decision to detail her fears about a merger publicly before this week’s initial ruling by the European Commission’s on the deal will cause concern that she is attempting to exert influence over the process. “The deal