Germany's Business Minister Philipp Roesler has criticised the proposed merger of Telefonica Germany (O2) and E-Plus. He told German newspaper 'Handelsblatt' that pricing competition must be maintained and that the merger cannot result in higher costs for customers. He stressed that the interests of mobile phone customers should be maintained, along with existing quality standards and network investment levels.
Federal Cartel Office president Andreas Mundt and Monopoly Commission chairman Daniel Zimmer have also expressed concern about the merger. Mundt said that the reduction in the number of mobile network operators on the German market from four to three was a cause for concern, especially as E-Plus has always been extremely competitive on price. He acknowledged that the mobile industry faced high investment levels and consolidation pressure, but insisted that the plans would be fully examined.
