So, finally, 3 seems to have found a partner:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845

I'd be slightly surprised if the regulators just wave this through.

On 14/06/2023 11:47, Recliner wrote:
> So, finally, 3 seems to have found a partner:
> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845
>
> I'd be slightly surprised if the regulators just wave this through.

There are too few companies already so I hope it gets stopped.

Coffee <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> wrote:
> On 14/06/2023 11:47, Recliner wrote:
>> So, finally, 3 seems to have found a partner:
>> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845
>>
>> I'd be slightly surprised if the regulators just wave this through.
>
> There are too few companies already so I hope it gets stopped.
>

There’s loads of mobile companies if you include the virtual operators. And
they don’t just pass on the same retail prices as the parent operator, they
can be a lot cheaper. Vodafone and 3 aren’t making enough return on the
capital employed. The market probably can’t support 4 operators given the
capital investments needed to upgrade the system.

In message <qj6j8idt8c18isi3ji4oascucbroa76usc@4ax.com>, at 11:47:58 on
Wed, 14 Jun 2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>So, finally, 3 seems to have found a partner:
>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845
>
>I'd be slightly surprised if the regulators just wave this through.

Spoiler alert: the partner is Vodafone.

Of course they won't "just wave it through", but they might allow it,
eventually. Especially if, for example, "3" could make a plausible case
for throwing in the towel (handing back the keys... other metaphors are
available) otherwise.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
> In message <qj6j8idt8c18isi3ji4oascucbroa76usc@4ax.com>, at 11:47:58 on
> Wed, 14 Jun 2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>> So, finally, 3 seems to have found a partner:
>> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845
>>
>> I'd be slightly surprised if the regulators just wave this through.
>
> Spoiler alert: the partner is Vodafone.

Spoiler? It's in the thread title.

>
> Of course they won't "just wave it through", but they might allow it,
> eventually. Especially if, for example, "3" could make a plausible case
> for throwing in the towel (handing back the keys... other metaphors are
> available) otherwise.

Yes, or both parties could state that they would be investing much less in
the UK without the merger. But there may have to be some
competition-mitigating concessions.

In message <u6hegv$qa7c$6@dont-email.me>, at 10:45:51 on Fri, 16 Jun
2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
>> In message <qj6j8idt8c18isi3ji4oascucbroa76usc@4ax.com>, at 11:47:58 on
>> Wed, 14 Jun 2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>> So, finally, 3 seems to have found a partner:
>>> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845
>>>
>>> I'd be slightly surprised if the regulators just wave this through.
>>
>> Spoiler alert: the partner is Vodafone.
>
>Spoiler? It's in the thread title.

Didn't see that.

Although are they really proposing marketing the merged company as "3"?
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
> In message <u6hegv$qa7c$6@dont-email.me>, at 10:45:51 on Fri, 16 Jun
> 2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
>>> In message <qj6j8idt8c18isi3ji4oascucbroa76usc@4ax.com>, at 11:47:58 on
>>> Wed, 14 Jun 2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>> So, finally, 3 seems to have found a partner:
>>>> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845
>>>>
>>>> I'd be slightly surprised if the regulators just wave this through.
>>>
>>> Spoiler alert: the partner is Vodafone.
>>
>> Spoiler? It's in the thread title.
>
> Didn't see that.
>
> Although are they really proposing marketing the merged company as "3"?

No, the '=3' is because the number of mobile networks would drop to three.

Vodafone will have the majority share, and the right to buy out Hutchison,
so its brand is the one much more likely to remain long-term. If the deal
does go ahead, both brands might continue to be used for a while, but the
'3' brand probably has a limited future.

Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
> Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
>> In message <u6hegv$qa7c$6@dont-email.me>, at 10:45:51 on Fri, 16 Jun
>> 2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
>>>> In message <qj6j8idt8c18isi3ji4oascucbroa76usc@4ax.com>, at 11:47:58 on
>>>> Wed, 14 Jun 2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>> So, finally, 3 seems to have found a partner:
>>>>> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd be slightly surprised if the regulators just wave this through.
>>>>
>>>> Spoiler alert: the partner is Vodafone.
>>>
>>> Spoiler? It's in the thread title.
>>
>> Didn't see that.
>>
>> Although are they really proposing marketing the merged company as "3"?
>
> No, the '=3' is because the number of mobile networks would drop to three.
>
> Vodafone will have the majority share, and the right to buy out Hutchison,
> so its brand is the one much more likely to remain long-term. If the deal
> does go ahead, both brands might continue to be used for a while, but the
> '3' brand probably has a limited future.
>

Hutchison are desperate to offload Three. It’s not making any money.
There’s not enough money to go round to support 4 physical networks. There
aren’t many countries that support more than 3 significant primary
networks, ie non virtual.

In message <u6k4ns$17fb4$5@dont-email.me>, at 11:17:16 on Sat, 17 Jun
2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
>> In message <u6hegv$qa7c$6@dont-email.me>, at 10:45:51 on Fri, 16 Jun
>> 2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.uk> wrote:
>>>> In message <qj6j8idt8c18isi3ji4oascucbroa76usc@4ax.com>, at 11:47:58 on
>>>> Wed, 14 Jun 2023, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>> So, finally, 3 seems to have found a partner:
>>>>> https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65842845
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd be slightly surprised if the regulators just wave this through.
>>>>
>>>> Spoiler alert: the partner is Vodafone.
>>>
>>> Spoiler? It's in the thread title.
>>
>> Didn't see that.
>>
>> Although are they really proposing marketing the merged company as "3"?
>
>No, the '=3' is because the number of mobile networks would drop to three.

Very ambiguous.

>Vodafone will have the majority share, and the right to buy out Hutchison,
>so its brand is the one much more likely to remain long-term. If the deal
>does go ahead, both brands might continue to be used for a while, but the
>'3' brand probably has a limited future.

Or perhaps they could run "3" as a an effectively in-house MVNO, a bit
like Virgin was for T-Mobile. (It started off as a 50:50 joint venture
with Virgin Group, although some years later DT sold their share to
Virgin Group).
--
Roland Perry