The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority said Tuesday that Vodafone and Three's £15 billion ($19.5 billion) merger will likely be approved if the two firms proceed with billions of pounds of infrastructure investment and add customer protections.

A £15bn merger between Vodafone and Three is on course to be given the green light after Sir Keir Starmer vowed to “rip up” red tape blocking investment in Britain.The two mobile operators have been told they must freeze prices for the next three years if they want their tie-up to be approved by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

The regulator says a merger between Vodafone and Three could go ahead - if both companies make price promises for consumers and commit to boosting the UK's 5G rollout. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had previously said that creating what would be the country's biggest mobile network could drive up prices and harm competition.

The Competition and Markets Authority has given the Vodafone–Three merger the provisional green light, if both companies commit to major network upgrades and customer protections, according to a new press released published this week.

Vodafone and Three merger set for all clear from CMA after investigation - Competition watchdog provisionally finds deal can go ahead subject to investment and price freeze remedies