Deals
U.K. Minister Adds to Post-Brexit Telecom Merger Speculation
- Carrier consolidation in the U.K. was previously blocked
- BT’s separation from Openreach ‘working well,’ minister says
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The U.K. may take a softer stance than the European Union on telecom and media consolidation in the future, meaning Brexit may be an opportunity for the sector to pursue deals that would have faced opposition from regulators in the bloc.
“There is a case, potentially, for future mergers,” Margot James, minister for the creative industries, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV’s Annmarie Hordern on Tuesday. “But that really is a decision for companies and Ofcom to take, under the direction of the CMA,” she added, referring to Britain’s communications regulator and the Competition and Markets Authority.