The European Commission has pushed out its deadline for deciding on the takeover of Tele2 Netherlands by T-Mobile. The competition investigation should be decided by 30 November, rather than the original date of 27 October, the Commission announced on its website.
The Commission already extended the investigation in June by 15 working days and by another five days in July. In late July, the clock was suspended for a time without a deadline, for no stated reason. Further extensions are possible.
From 4 to 3 mobile operators
The operators first announced the merger plans in December 2017. The deal would reduce the Dutch market from four to three mobile networks, just ahead of a major spectrum auction planned for late 2019. Planning for the auction has been delayed, pending the outcome of the merger and the Commission's view on competition in the Dutch mobile market.
Once the merger is completed, the Dutch regulator ACM will again assess the mobile market. The government will use its advice to design the conditions of the spectrum auction. The timing is tight, as some of the spectrum will be available already from the start of 2020. Under the current deadlines, the auction could already be delayed to early 2020.
