Vodafone-Three merger could lead to higher prices, says watchdog
监管机构表示，沃达丰和 Three 这两家公司的合并可能导致价格上涨
The proposed merger of Vodafone and Three could lead to “higher prices” and “reduced quality” for customers, the UK’s competition watchdog says.
英国竞争监管机构表示，沃达丰和 Three 的合并计划对于客户而言可能会导致“价格上涨”和“质量下降”。
The proposed £15bn deal could now be subject to an in-depth investigation.
拟议中的 150 亿英镑交易现在可能会接受深入调查。
The combined group would be the UK’s biggest mobile network with about 27 million customers.
合并后的集团将成为英国最大的移动网络，拥有约 2700 万客户。
The firms said the deal would result in an additional investment of £11bn in the UK.
这些公司表示，这笔交易将在英国带来 110 亿英镑的额外投资。
But the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) deputy chief economic adviser Julie Bon said she had “identified concerns which could lead to higher prices for customers and lower investment in UK mobile networks.
但竞争与市场管理局（CMA）副首席经济顾问 Julie Bon 表示，她已经“发现了导致对客户而言的价格上涨和英国移动网络投资减少的担忧”。
“These warrant an in-depth investigation unless Vodafone and Three can come forward with solutions.”
“除非沃达丰和 Three 能够拿出解决方案，否则这些问题仍需必要的深入调查。”
The regulator is also concerned that the deal may make it more difficult for smaller players such as Sky Mobile and Lyca Mobile – who rent space from the bigger operators – to get a good deal.
监管机构还担心，这笔交易可能会使 Sky Mobile 和 Lyca Mobile 等从大型运营商那里租用场地的小型运营商更难获得不错的交易。
But Vodafone’s UK chief executive, Ahmed Essam, defended the deal, saying it would allow the companies to create an operator with the scale required to take on the current two biggest network providers in the UK.
但沃达丰英国首席执行官艾哈迈德·埃萨姆为这笔交易进行了辩护，称这将使两家公司能够创建一家规模足以与英国目前最大的两家网络提供商竞争的运营商。
Virgin Media O2 has around 24 million mobile customers while EE, which is owned by BT Group, has 20 million users.
维珍传媒 O2 拥有约 2400 万移动用户，而英国电信集团旗下的 EE 拥有 2000 万用户。
Three’s UK chief executive, Robert Finnegan, said a merger would “move the UK into the digital fast lane” by allowing increased innovation “benefiting customers from day one”.
Three 的英国首席执行官 Robert Finnegan 表示，合并将“使英国进入数字快车道”，允许增加创新，“从第一天起就让客户受益”。
Price hikes
价格上涨
The issues of price rises for mobile phone contracts – and other aspects of tech – is already firmly in the spotlight, with some already accusing providers of “grossly unfair” increases.
手机合同的价格上涨问题——以及技术的其他方面——已经成为人们关注的焦点，一些人已经指责供应商“极不公平”的价格上涨。
Three and Vodafone have already announced they will introduce a 7.9% increase to the cost of many contracts in April.
Three 和 Vodafone 已经宣布，他们将在 4 月份将许多合同的成本提高 7.9%。
That now looks like “an ill-timed move that may not sit well with the competition watchdog,” said analyst Kester Mann, from CCS Insight.
CCS Insight 的分析师 Kester Mann 表示，这现在看起来像是“一个不合时宜的举动，可能不会让竞争监管机构满意”。
However, for the firms themselves the merger makes sense as “scale is key to help lower costs and improve margins,” said telecoms analyst Paolo Pescatore.
然而，电信分析师 Paolo Pescatore 表示，对这两家公司本身来说，合并是有意义的，因为“规模是帮助降低成本和提高利润率的关键”。
However, he added that “it could take years before we see the real fruits of this deal” in terms of prices for customers.
然而，他补充道，对于客户来说就价格而言，“我们可能需要数年时间才能看到这笔交易的真正成果”。
“The question is, can the UK wait that long?” he said.
“问题是，英国能等那么久吗？”他说。
原文：https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-68630954
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