BT Group’s takeover of mobile phone network EE has been given the final clearance by the Competition and Market’s Authority (CMA).
The deal, worth £12.5bn, will bring together the UK’s largest fixed-line business and the largest mobile telecoms business.
The CMA believes it is unlikely to harm competition as BT was “smaller in mobile” and EE was a “minor player” in broadband.
The CMA’s John Wotton said: “The evidence does not show that this merger is likely to cause significant harm to competition or the interests of consumers.”
Chief Executive at BT, Gavin Patterson, said: “The combined BT and EE will be a digital champion for the UK, providing high levels of investment and driving innovation in a highly competitive market.”
According to Ofcom BT controls 81% of the UK fixed-broadband market and has a 37.6% share of the market for UK home phone traffic. The deal is thought to add EE’s 33.8% mobile market share to BT’s portfolio.