The European Commission has accepted commitments offered by Czech mobile operators T-Mobile and O2 and telecommunications infrastructure operator CETIN to settle anti-competitive allegations related to their network sharing agreement. The Commission stated this in its press release today. According to the Reuters agency, it thus ended the investigation of these companies.
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EC Vice-President Margrethe Vestagerová, who is in charge of economic competition, said that the promised measures will benefit Czech mobile phone users. The measures include, among other things, the modernization of mobile networks.
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In 2016, the European Commission began investigating the network sharing agreement between T-Mobile, O2 and CETIN. In 2019, it stated that, according to its preliminary conclusions, this agreement restricts competition. Last year, the companies offered to settle allegations of restricting competition.
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T-Mobile, O2 and CETIN started working together in 2011. A network sharing agreement is a common practice that allows operators to reduce costs and facilitate network development. It is mostly beneficial to consumers as it brings faster network development, cost savings and rural coverage. However, it can also have a negative impact on economic competition.
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If the European Commission discovers a violation of antitrust rules, it can impose a fine of up to ten percent of the company’s annual sales and order the modification of its business practices.
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