U.K. Regulator Clears Vodafone/Three Deal

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority approved the combination of Vodafone and Three in the U.K., following 18 months of study, Vodafone said Wednesday. Other clearances are needed, and the deal is expected to close in the first half of next year, Vodafone said. “The new network will reach 99% of the population and benefit over 50 million customers, through significantly better quality, greater reliability and enhanced capacity for handling ever-increasing data demand,” said a news release: “This demand is set to accelerate further with more widespread adoption of new technology, such as AI.”