The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has given its approval to the £2 billion deal for the sale of Arqiva’s telecoms division to Cellnex.
The £2 billion deal will see Cellnex acquire Arqiva’s 7,400 sites are involved in the distribution of UK phone signals. It includes the rollout of 5G technology and small cells.
Following an investigation, the CMA found the deal does not raise competition concerns in the supply of large telecommunication infrastructure like mobile towers and pylons.
While it considered whether Cellnex was in the process of expanding its UK presence before the merger, it ultimately found “Cellnex would not have been a significantly stronger competitor if it had not bought the Arqiva business”.
It also concluded the combined business will continue to face competition from several other independent providers, including WIG and Freshwave Group.
