7 July 2026: Efficient operator scale is central to the telecoms merger debate. With the EU Merger Guidelines under review, the question of how competition policy frameworks can truly capture the dynamic effects of consolidation arises. The publication of the new GSMA Intelligence report titled “Efficient operator scale in European mobile markets” provided a timely opportunity to discuss these challenges and their implications for Europe’s competition policy.
The event brought together competition law and economics experts representing DG Competition, GSMA, academia, the telecommunications sector and European consumers for an engaging and constructive discussion on the optimal market structures for enabling efficient investment, innovation and long-term consumer welfare.
Report presentation: “Efficient operator scale in European mobile markets”
Pau Castells (GSMA Intelligence) presented the key findings of the report, which provides new empirical evidence on how operator scale affects network investment, 5G deployment, network quality, and pricing outcomes across European markets, with a focus on the mobile data era.
The report finds that:
- Operators with greater scale deliver 48% more investment across Europe’s mobile markets;
- Consumers do not pay higher prices for the improved performance and increased investment observed in more concentrated markets;
- Europe has the lowest level of market concentration among major economies, resulting in a fragmented market structure that is constraining investment in next-generation networks and slowing the rollout of 5G Standalone.
Balancing scale, competition and consumer welfare
Emanuele Tarantino, Chief Economist at DG Competition and Lorien Sabatino, Assistant Professor at the Department of Management of the Politecnico di Torino’s remarks were followed by a lively debate amongst participants on the impact on investment, innovation and competitiveness of market structures, characterised by different degrees of scale.
The discussion explored several key questions: where investment by mobile operators is most urgently needed to benefit consumers; whether consolidation is the most effective tool to drive growth; and what could incentivise long-term investment commitments by mobile operators.
The question of how consumer welfare is assessed in merger reviews was central to the debate and attendees underlined that any future merger would need to demonstrate clear and tangible benefits for consumers.
Shaping the future of Europe’s mobile markets
As the European Commission reviews the EU Merger Guidelines, one thing is clear: delivering better outcomes for consumers has always been a central objective of competition policy; safeguarding consumer welfare requires merger assessments that look beyond rigid presumptions based on market structures and fully account for dynamic benefits such as quality, innovation and resilience, especially at a time when sustained investment in next-generation networks is increasingly urgent. The GSMA Intelligence report provides a strong evidence base for a more forward-looking approach to merger assessments – one that reflects market realities and supports the investment, innovation and resilience needed for Europe’s digital future – and was widely recognised by participants as a valuable contribution to the debate on how Europe can build more competitive, innovative and sustainable mobile markets.
#GSMAConnected Series: Small scale Big impact
This event is part of the #GSMAConnected Series of Events (formerly Mobile Meetings Series). These are small-scale, invitation-only meetings that provide a setting to explore, from a broader stakeholder’s perspective, EU policy issues that are central to the development of the mobile industry.