The CMA conditionally cleared Cellnex acquisition of CK Hutchison’s passive telecom infrastructure assets in the UK at Phase II

On 3rd March 2022, the UK Competition Market Authority (“CMA”) conditionally cleared Cellnex acquisition of CK Hutchison’s passive telecom infrastructure assets in the UK at Phase II subject to a divestment of approximately 1,100 sites in the UK. Cellnex is an independent supplier of telecommunications infrastructure, currently active across several European countries, and CK Hutchison is a multinational conglomerate that currently owns and operates the Three mobile network in the UK.

CRA has advised Cellnex throughout the Phase I and Phase II processes and has provided further advice on constructing the divestment package of approximately 1,100 sites in the UK to Wireless Infrastructure Group on the basis of a geographic overlap between the Parties, which satisfied the Final Undertakings which were proposed by Cellnex and CK Hutchison and accepted by the Competition and Markets Authority in May this year.

A CRA team including Matthew Bennett, Vicki Mertzanidou, Mariam Arutyunyan, and Aonghus O Cochlain worked to provide economic support to the Parties and their legal counsel.

Additional details are available on the CMA’s case page (link: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/cellnex-slash-ck-hutchison-uk-towers-merger-inquiry).