CITY VIEWS: WHAT DOES THE T-MOBILE / ORANGE TIE-UP MEAN FOR COMPETITION IN THE MOBILE INDUSTRY?
OLIVER THOMAS INSURANCE RISK PARTNERS
“The merger doesn’t really worry me. There are still a number of service providers, and they all need to work together, so it is not like we are going to see a monopoly as such, like we had with BT. If there was more consolidation and less choice, then yes, that would bother me.”
JUDITH ANDREWS KERRY LONDON
“I think that it could possibly affect choice and prices, but I am an O2 customer and have become an iPhone lover. It is all about the hardware for me, as long as O2 have exclusivity I will stay with them. If the new player were to win the iPhone contract, that would be a consideration.”
DINA RAJAONA KLEINWORT BENSON
“I am not sure that the merger deal will be good for competition. But following the crisis, there is be a smaller pie, so there will probably be fewer players. I would expect the regulators to be much more relaxed as well. This is just the beginning for mergers from across all industries.”
EDWARD STRICKLAND THOMAS LEGAL
“I am not concerned as a consumer. I think mobile companies try to charge whatever they can get away with, and it is up to the regulator to oversee the tariffs. I cannot imagine that, if companies had a smaller market share, they would be any more competitive than they are now.”