The European Commission has informed Czech operators of mobile telephony O2 CZ and T-Mobile CZ, as well as domestic telecom infrastructure provider CETIN, of its preliminary view that their network sharing agreement restricts competition in breach of EU antitrust rules.
European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager said in a statement on Tuesday that operators sharing networks generally benefits consumers, both in terms of cost savings and coverage in rural areas.
“However, when there are signs that co-operative agreements may be harmful to consumers, it is our role to investigate these and ensure that markets indeed remain competitive,” she said.
The Commission said the deal, struck in 2011 and subsequently expanded, may breach the bloc’s competition rules.
