Denmark vs Germany. Decoupling of mobile internet access prices and gigabyte consumption.

The statement above is our interpretation of the motive behind the launch by the KPN group in one of its markets of “truly mobile” smartphone plans with enough mobile internet gigabytes to “live completely mobile”.

A small German mobile company has fired a legal salvo that could ricochet across the European telecoms industry with unknown consequences. “More competitors means lower prices for consumers and more investment into infrastructure,” said Antonios Drossos, managing partner at Rewheel, a telecoms consultancy. “Competition gives operators an incentive to differentiate themselves by investing.”

The €8.6bn acquisition by Telefónica of KPN’s German business is set to be contested in front of the EU general court after a rival argued that the deal had impaired competition in the country. The group also pointed to data from Finnish consulting company Rewheel that consolidation significantly increased mobile prices ... Rewheel said: “The European Commission approved the harmful four to three Telefónica E-Plus German merger by accepting ineffective commitments that could not remove the competition concerns entirely.”

4G LTE smartphone plans with 100 or unlimited gigabyte volume are promoted by European mobile operators as the ultimate packages for connecting computers and tablets and streaming movies while at home. Affordably priced 100, 200, 500 or unlimited gigabyte 4G LTE data only home broadband plans - Cheaper than cable.

In April 2015 Drillisch launched a new portfolio of smartphone tariffs in many of its retails sub-brands.

As competition commissioner, Vestager says that her job is to ensure that European citizens or businesses can enjoy relatively innovative markets at affordable prices.

In 4 to 3 consolidated markets and in a market where consolidation is on the making the average price of the 5 gigabyte mobile internet access basket rose by up to 56% while the lowest available price rose by up to 68%. In markets that went from 3 to 4 operators and in a 4-player market where consolidation was blocked the average price of the 5 gigabyte mobile internet access basket fell by up to 37% while the lowest available price fell by up to 40%.

Meanwhile Telefonica, post merger, also raised mobile internet smartphone plan prices by double digit percentage.

This is the first empirical evidence of the pro-competitive benefits of real net neutrality rules that ban price discrimination (zero-rating) – it leads to lower internet usage prices and higher volume caps!

A recent decision by European regulators to approve the merger of two cellphone companies in Germany will significantly reduce competition and encourage further consolidation in the industry. Citing Digital Fuel Monitor research.

A flash research note reacting on European Commission's decision granting conditional approval for the Hutchison-Telefonica merger in Ireland.

Will Almunia succumb to Merkel’s pressure and clear Telefonica/E-Plus merger with toothless Austrian like remedies (leased 2600MHz spectrum, WiFi, MVNOs) or stand firm, enforce the law and prohibit the merger?

EU antitrust regulators opened an in-depth probe into Telefonica's proposed 8.6 billion euro ($11.9 billion) takeover of KPN's German unit, saying the deal may reduce competition in the German mobile market.

Inefficient operators that cannot make a healthy return on €20 mass market 10 GByte all-you-can-eat minute & SMS smartphone tariffs will soon become telco road kills in Europe’s competitive markets.

Telefonica’s acquisition of E-Plus, if approved, will turn Germany into a fiercely competitive market.

In einer Studie für europäische und nationale Kartellwächter warnt die finnische Beratungsfirma Rewheel vor einer Fusion der deutschen Mobilfunker O2 und E-Plus, sollte es keine strengen Auflagen geben. Die Spezialisten für den Mobilfunkmarkt verweisen darauf, dass in Österreich sieben Monate nach einer genehmigten Fusion der Anbieter Hutchison 3G Austria („3“) die Preise für Smartphone-Tarife im Durchschnitt um sechzig Prozent erhöht habe.

European Union Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said companies’ expansion can’t come at the expense of customers or competition, in a response to a call by telecommunications operators for looser merger reviews. Users pay as much as ten times more to use their smartphones in countries where the biggest European operators have no local competitors, Almunia said, citing [Rewheel] research.

The Netherlands could be heading for a mobile phone price war similar to the one that has ravaged industry profits in France, with an auction of wireless licenses next month likely to ramp up competition to market leader KPN (KPN.AS) and its rivals. Quoting Rewheel.

Up until late 2009 E-Plus had been following a low cost challenger strategy primarily targeting customers with no or very light mobile data needs. But late 2009, when it became apparent that fast mobile data is not a niche offering any longer but is becoming an essential need of the mass consumer base in Germany and in other developed telecoms markets, they swiftly declared a new, “voice+data” strategy.