Vodafone-Three merger: tens of millions could face higher bills, says UK watchdog

The provisional findings by the CMA come after a five-month investigation into the Vodafone-Three deal. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

A proposed merger between the telecoms companies Vodafone and Three in the UK could lead to higher mobile bills for tens of millions of mobile customers, the competition watchdog has warned.

Announcing the provisional findings of its investigation into the deal, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was particularly concerned about the effects on those customers least able to afford mobile services.