UK Regulator Says Cellnex Acquisition of UK Telecoms Towers Harms Competition

By Jaime Llinares Taboada

The U.K. competition watchdog said Thursday that Cellnex Telecom SA's proposed acquisition of CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.'s telecoms towers in the U.K. would harm competition in the country.

The Competition and Markets Authority, which had launched an inquiry into the deal in May, has provisionally found that the sale may raise significant competition concerns by preventing the emergence of a third national player in the U.K.

"Less competition could mean higher prices or worse terms for both mobile operators and their customers," the chair of the independent inquiry group said.

The regulator is to make a final decision by March 7, 2022.

Write to Jaime Llinares Taboada at [e-mail]; @JaimeLlinaresT

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

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