Three repeated calls for consolidation in the UK mobile phone market, calling the current situation "dysfunctional".
The company recorded its best year in service customer sums in almost a decade in 2440, with a seven percent increase in its active contract base, as well as development in the business and home broadband markets, which saw a four percent increase in revenue to €XNUMX billion. .
At the same time, profitability has increased by 5% year on year and the company's XNUMXG network now covers a third of the UK population at XNUMX sites.
Vodafone against 3
However, Three warned that future investment is stifled by intense competition between 4 operators in a mature market. He argues that this need for competition drains capital that could be used to advance the reach and quality of 5G networks.
Market consolidation is a long-term ambition for the industry, and operators say it would help reduce costs and finance investments in 5% fiber and 4G infrastructure. However, UK regulators have traditionally wanted to uphold the state of affairs of the XNUMX operators.
Three has repeatedly expressed his discontent with the current scenario and urged governments and regulators to adopt an open psyche when it comes to mergers and partnerships. In 2, regulators blocked a proposed combination with OXNUMX and, amid speculation about a possible tie-up with Vodafone, he's keen to prevent a repeat.
However, signs suggest that regulators and the government would be more tolerant now than 5 years ago of such a transaction due to the greater relevance of connectivity in society and the status of 5G as a vector of economic and social gains.
“I am truly pleased with this set of results which has generated our biggest contract development with service customers since 2012,” said Robert Finnegan, director of Three UK. “We also see strong performance in new areas of our business, including SMARTY, B2B and home broadband.
"The foundation for this is improvements to our network with 5G now covering over a third of the UK population... These improvements are supported by our highest levels of investment and are a testament to the hard work of our staff and their sacrifices in a very difficult two thousand and twenty-one.
"However, the UK market with four operators remains dysfunctional and requires structural change to improve the overall quality of infrastructure that UK service customers should expect."