EU Commission Approves Orange-MásMóvil Joint Venture

The European body said the approval is conditional upon full compliance with a commitments package offered by Orange and MasMovil The European Commission has approved the proposed creation of a joint venture by Spanish telcos Orange and MasMovil. In a release, the European body said the approval is conditional upon full compliance with a commitments The post European Commission clears Orange-MasMovil merger appeared first on RCR Wireless News.
EU Commission Approves Orange-MasMovil Joint Venture
Image Credit: EU Commission, Orange and MasMovil

The EU Commission’s Conditional Approval In a significant development for the European telecommunications sector, the European Commission has granted conditional approval for the creation of a joint venture between telecom giants Orange and MásMóvil. This decision, governed by the EU Merger Regulation, hinges on strict adherence to a set of commitments proposed by both companies.


In-Depth Examination of the Joint Venture Prior to reaching this decision, the Commission conducted a thorough investigation into the proposed transaction. This scrutiny revealed several critical insights. Orange operates as a full mobile network provider, while MásMóvil is a hybrid operator, partly relying on its own network and partly on national roaming agreements, notably with Orange, to offer comprehensive services across Spain. This landscape also includes major players like Telefónica and Vodafone, along with numerous mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), with Digi being the largest in Spain.

Commission’s Findings and Concerns The Commission’s investigation highlighted significant concerns that the merger, in its original form, could hamper competition in the retail markets for mobile and fixed internet services in Spain. Key findings included:

  • The merger would create Spain’s largest operator in terms of customer numbers, significantly increasing market share across all relevant retail markets.
  • Direct competition between Orange and MásMóvil, particularly given MásMóvil’s competitive pricing and growth trajectory, would be eliminated.
  • Potential for significant consumer price hikes, exceeding 10%.
  • Anticipated efficiencies from the transaction, such as cost savings or enhanced 5G and fiber rollout, were unlikely to counterbalance its anticompetitive effects.

Mandated Remedies to Foster Competition To alleviate these concerns, Orange and MásMóvil agreed to:

  1. Divest portions of MásMóvil’s spectrum across three bands to Digi, facilitating Digi’s development of an independent mobile network.
  2. Offer Digi an optional national roaming agreement, allowing it to utilize the joint venture’s network, complementing its own impending network rollout.

Digi: A Suitable Remedy Taker The Commission, after a rigorous review, including consultation with an independent advisor, endorsed Digi as an appropriate entity to acquire the divested spectrum. Digi’s current status as Spain’s largest and fastest-growing MVNO, coupled with its mobile network operational experience in other EU states and its expanding fixed broadband network in Spain, underlined its suitability.

Ensuring a Competitive Telecom Market in Spain The Commission’s thorough market testing and feedback collection from various stakeholders confirmed that these commitments effectively address the competition concerns. The decision is poised to maintain a competitive telecom landscape in Spain, benefiting consumers through competitive pricing, quality services, and accelerated 5G network deployment.

Regulatory Oversight and Compliance The Commission’s decision is contingent on full compliance with the outlined commitments. An independent trustee, under the Commission’s supervision, will oversee the implementation of these commitments, ensuring they align with the intended objectives of preserving market competition.

About Orange and MásMóvil Orange, headquartered in France, is a global telecommunications operator. In Spain, it operates through OSP, offering a range of mobile and fixed electronic communication services under multiple brands. MásMóvil, controlled by UK-based Lorca, predominantly serves residential customers in Spain

with its diverse brand portfolio, including Yoigo, MásMóvil, Virgin, and others. While MásMóvil’s network primarily focuses on urban areas with mid-band and high-band spectrum, it lacks low-band spectrum necessary for rural network deployment.

Merger Control Rules and Procedure The transaction was initially notified to the European Commission on February 13, 2023. Following the commencement of an in-depth investigation on April 3, 2023, the Commission expressed preliminary competition concerns on June 27, 2023. The Commission’s role is to assess such mergers and acquisitions, ensuring they do not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area. The majority of notified mergers are routinely cleared; however, complex cases such as this undergo more extensive Phase II investigations.

Ongoing Investigations and Broader Impacts This decision comes amid other significant merger investigations, including Lufthansa’s proposed acquisition of ITA Airways and IAG’s intended acquisition of Air Europa. The conditional approval of the Orange-MásMóvil joint venture sets a precedent in the telecom sector, highlighting the Commission’s commitment to maintaining market competition while fostering industry growth.


Recent Content

The telecom industry in 2025 is undergoing a major transformation, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), cloud growth, next-gen cellular networks, and national data sovereignty. AI is reshaping cellular infrastructure, enhancing spectrum efficiency through innovations like ELAA (Extremely Large Aperture Arrays), and enabling smarter, adaptive networks.
Access to reliable broadband is essential for work, education, and healthcare—but millions of Americans remain disconnected due to high costs. This article explores how the Universal Service Fund (USF), once focused on phone access, must be modernized to support affordable internet in a digital-first economy. With the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program and growing legal uncertainty around USF funding, bold policy reform is urgently needed to close the broadband affordability gap and ensure digital equity.
Expanding Middle Mile infrastructure is essential for closing the broadband gap, promoting digital equity, and enabling affordable internet in underserved communities. By investing in the critical connections between internet backbones and local networks, Middle Mile expansion drives affordability, competition, and economic development.
Connecting the unconnected requires more than just broadband buildout. National digital inclusion strategies focus on affordability, digital skills, devices, and sustainable infrastructure to empower all communities. Learn how federal programs, state initiatives, and public-private partnerships are reshaping broadband access across America.
Artificial Intelligence is transforming metro infrastructure, placing new demands on data centers, fiber networks, and edge deployments. This article explores how operators are tackling power and cooling constraints, evolving network topologies, managing capital risks, and partnering with hyperscalers to build sustainable, AI-optimized metro ecosystems.
The fiber, data center, and telecom sectors are evolving rapidly amid rising AI workloads, cloud expansion, edge computing, and new investment models. This article breaks down the key trends — from fiber deployments in rural markets to secondary data center expansions and telecoms shifting to platform-based services, that are reshaping digital infrastructure for a hyperconnected future.
Whitepaper
Telecom networks are facing unprecedented complexity with 5G, IoT, and cloud services. Traditional service assurance methods are becoming obsolete, making AI-driven, real-time analytics essential for competitive advantage. This independent industry whitepaper explores how DPUs, GPUs, and Generative AI (GenAI) are enabling predictive automation, reducing operational costs, and improving service quality....
Whitepaper
Explore the collaboration between Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University, Ericsson, and Saab at the Aviation Innovation Hub. Discover how private 5G networks, real-time analytics, and sustainable innovations are shaping the "Airport of the Future" for a smarter, safer, and greener aviation industry....
Article & Insights
This article explores the deployment of 5G NR Transparent Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs), detailing the architecture's advantages and challenges. It highlights how this "bent-pipe" NTN approach integrates ground-based gNodeB components with NGSO satellite constellations to expand global connectivity. Key challenges like moving beam management, interference mitigation, and latency are discussed, underscoring...

Download Magazine

With Subscription

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Scroll to Top