CMA Investigated Vodafone, CK Hutchison Joint Venture

We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigated the anticipated joint venture between Vodafone Group Plc and CK Hutchison Holdings Limited concerning Vodafone Limited and Hutchison 3G UK Limited. Annual Progress Report published. Detail of buyout published. Appointment of monitoring trustee published. Case closure and joint statement published. Notice of acceptance of final undertakings and final undertakings published. Notice of extension published. Final report, appendices and glossary published. Summary of final report published. Supplementary responses to the remedies working paper published. Response to remedies working paper added. Administrative timetable update, and 3 responses to remedies working paper published. Responses to the working paper published. Remedies working paper, responses to provisional findings, and update to responses to the notice of possible remedies published. Remedies working paper announced and press release published. Administrative timetable updated. 3 additional responses to the notice of provisional findings published. Published second batch of responses to the notice of possible remedies. Published first batch of responses to the notice of possible remedies. Parties’ response to the notice of possible remedies published Full text of provisional findings and appendices published Summary of provisional findings published Other third party submissions published. Administrative timetable and notice of extension published. BTEE’s supplemental response to the issues statement published. Initial submission published. Responses to issues statement published Notice of termination of extension published and administrative timetable updated. Notice of extension published. Issues statement published Full text for reference unless undertakings accepted published Administrative timetable published. Decision to refer and terms of reference published. Phase 1 decision announced and summary document published. Merger inquiry launched and commencement notice published. Invitation to comment: Closed Find out more about how we investigated the Vodafone/Three merger . 29 September 2026: In accordance with paragraph 3 of the Undertakings, VodafoneThree provided the CMA with its Year 1 annual progress report. The CMA has published a non-confidential version of this report. 31 July 2026: On 30 July 2026, Vodafone Group Plc (Vodafone) completed the buyout of CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited (CK Hutchison) from VodafoneThree Holdings Limited (formerly Vodafone UK Trading Holdings Limited) (VodafoneThree, or MergeCo) via a cancellation of shares (the Transaction). As a result of the Transaction, Vodafone is now the sole owner of VodafoneThree. CK Hutchison no longer holds any shares, interests or rights in VodafoneThree and has therefore ceased to exercise control over VodafoneThree. Clause 2.3 of the Final Undertakings states that the Final Undertakings will apply to CK Hutchison for so long as CK Hutchison exercises control over MergeCo. Pursuant to clause 2.3, CK Hutchison is therefore no longer bound by the Final Undertakings. No obligations owed by Vodafone under the Final Undertakings have changed as a result of the Transaction. The Final Undertakings remain unchanged and in full effect. Referral date: 4 April 2024 Statutory deadline: 7 December 2024 2 June 2025: The CMA accepted final undertakings from the Parties on 28 March 2025. This brings the merger investigation to a close. The CMA and Ofcom have issued a joint statement regarding their respective r