The deal would create the UK's biggest mobile network and could also improve network quality, the Competition and Markets Authority said. But claims of providing a faster 5g network are 'overstated', it added. The CMA will now consider how the companies could address those concerns. The regulator had announced an in-depth investigation in April over fears the merger could 'result in a substantial lessening of competition'.
Mobile phone users could face higher prices and reduced quality of service if the plans went ahead, it added. The proposed £15bn merger, announced last year, would bring 27 million customers together under a single provider. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app.