Vodafone and Three to merge creating UK’s largest phone network - what it means for customers

The two firms announced plans to merge their UK-based operations, giving them around 27 million customers and making it the biggest mobile network in the UK. The deal was announced on Wednesday (June 14) with Vodafone owning the majority of the business on 51% equity.

The deal is yet to be approved by regulators, who will look at whether it will push up customer prices. The Vodafone and Three merger will take their combined market share past Virgin Media O2, who have around 24 million customers.

Vodafone and Three claimed customers "will enjoy a better network experience with greater coverage and reliability at no extra cost from day one.” They also said they would invest £11bn in the next generation of telecoms technology - 5G - in the UK over 10 years.

CEO of Vodafone, Margherita Della Valle, said: “The merger is great for customers, great for the country and great for competition. It’s transformative as it will create a best-in-class - indeed best in Europe - 5G network, offering customers a superior experience.

"As a country, the UK will benefit from the creation of a sustainable, strongly competitive third scaled operator - with a clear £11 billion network investment plan - driving growth, employment and innovation."