This merger *will* reduce consumer choice *and* increase costs
Bugger - I just moved from Vodafone to Smarty (effectively 3), as Vodafone could not or would not provide a cheap enough 'all you can eat' data package.
As a consumer, I'm not seeing the benefit of this merger. While Vodafone will get access to 3 masts (and vice-versa), will it really improve coverage?
And I can't be the only one to wonder how on the one hand they're (combined) willing to blat £11bn on improving their network over the next 10 years, and then on the other espouse the cost savings of $755m each year...?!?
From my perspective, EE/BT = too Expensive, Virgin Media/02 = too mediocre and Vodafone is costly, but has a lower coverage in some built up areas of the UK (including where my office is right now).
Not seeing how this can be a good thing, except for Vodafone?