Rewheel/research

July 2020

Monthly prices of plans with unlimited data volume and as well gigabyte prices of plans with data caps continue to be significantly higher in the 3-MNO German versus the 4-MNO Italian, French, Spanish and UK markets.

4G era – Who got the most out of it?

2019

May 2019

5-year mobile service revenue trends for 143 operators present in EU28 & OECD markets. Finnish operators that executed ‘unlimited everything’ strategies were the undisputed champions of the 4G era.

4G prices in Germany versus the UK, France and Italy – a universe apart!

February 2019

In-depth comparison of 4G prices and gigabytes in the 3-MNO consolidated German versus the 4-MNO UK, French and Italian markets – implications for the German 5G market.

Iliad’s 4th MNO venture into Italy – Will it pay off?

January 2019

Can Iliad make money by charging only €7.99 per subscriber?

Gigabyte price development in 4 to 3 consolidated versus 4-MNO European markets – September 2013 to March 2018

April 2018

As we asserted back in 2015 the merger mandated so called ‘capacity’ MVNOs did not become effective competitors

Four year comparative study of unit prices in 4-MNO and in the 4 to 3 consolidated German & Austrian markets

January 2017

The gap between gigabyte prices in the 4 to 3 consolidated Austrian & German markets and prices in 4-MNO markets where no consolidation has taken place had substantially increased by September 2016

Italian mobile merger proves 4 is the magic number

[External article, POLITICO PRO, subscription required]
September 2016

If Iliad has the same growth trajectory in Italy as it has had in France, Rewheel expects Iliad will control 20 percent of the market within five years.

Xavier Niel, the most aggressive telecom entrepreneur in Europe, is officially on his way to Italy

[External article, Bloomberg]
September 2016

Article presents Digital Fuel Monitor EU-US 4G prices analaysis chart

Effective structural remedies for Hutchison-WIND 4 to 3 Italian mobile merger

September 2016

This research report was submitted to Commissioner Vestager and DG Competition on 30th May 2016, three months prior to the European Commission's announcment (link) of approving the merger subject to remedies.

Mobile Price Wars: No Sign of Peace in Europe

[External article, The Wall Street Journal]
June 2016

The gap between European and U.S. mobile pricing seems likely to remain wide.

Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? Probably Telefonica and Hutchison

[External article, Telecom TV]
February 2016

"Here’s the deal. I think that Hutchison (owners of 3) will be willing to complete the merger with O2 even if it meant a new fourth operator had to be established in the market. But that would depend on who the operator was."

UK and French 4-network-operator competitive mobile markets versus the consolidated German protected oligopoly – 2Q 2015

June 2015

Triggered by the planned mergers in the UK, Commissioner Vestager’s assertion that “In fact, infrastructure investment can be stimulated by competition” and by the court challenge filed by Airdata AG against the Commission’s unlawful approval of Telefonica E-Plus German merger we take a closer look at effective competition and in particular 4G LTE mobile internet access (smartphone plan) prices and hotspot/tethering restrictions in the consolidated German protected oligopoly, UK and France.

Competitive mobile markets bolster take up, says study

[External article, The Financial Times, subscription required]
March 2014

Rewheel is launching a tracker of prices, performance, spectrum use, consumption and adoption across Europe, which includes 1,404 smartphone and data-only tariff plans offered in 43 countries from 145 operators.

Competition in France & UK versus Germany

December 2013

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.

Austrian takeover is a touchstone for telecoms dealmakers

[External article, The Financial Times, subscription required]
February 2013

Once the merger was crowned and three operators were left standing, it took a matter of days for something rare and unusual to jolt Austria’s cut-throat mobile phone business: prices started to rise. “We warned that prices would rise,” says Theodor Thanner, Austria’s competition regulator who questioned the EU approving Hutchison’s takeover of Orange last year. “Our forecast has been fulfilled”. Citing Rewheel research.

Lack of competition inflates EU smartphone costs

[External article, The Financial Times, subscription required]
January 2013

Mobile users pay up to 10 times more to use smartphones in EU countries that lack an independent “challenger” telecoms group outside the large, dominant pan-European operators, according to Rewheel's research.

Rewheel in the international media

Mobile Price Wars: No Sign of Peace in Europe
The Wall Street Journal

Veto of UK mobile merger sends chill across Europe
POLITICO Europe

We believe that the Commission will no longer accept MVNOs as an effective remedy in a merger situation
Reuters

Telecoms antitrust decision sends chills from UK to Italy
POLITICO Europe

European mobile telecoms - together we stand
The Economist

Appeal stokes telecoms merger controversy
POLITICO Europe

Austria becomes battleground in fight over mobile mergers
Reuters

Telefónica’s KPN deal challenged over impact on competition in front of the EU general court
Financial Times

Europe’s mobile internet divide is widening. Finland and Estonia top EU for low-cost hi-speed internet
President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves (twitter)

Europe’s great data divide
POLITICO Europe

Vestager on telecoms collision course with Juncker
POLITICO Europe