Maltese telco GO has reacted to yesterday’s announcement that local rivals Melita and Vodafone Malta are looking to merge their operations. A report from the Times of Malta cites GO as saying that it hopes the country’s competition watchdog, the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA), will conduct a ‘fair and transparent evaluation’ of the proposed tie-up, adding that it intends to participate ‘fully’ in the consultation process to ensure that competition is not threatened by the creation of a dominant player.
While Vodafone Malta CEO Amanda Nelson says the number of operators in the market ‘is no longer as relevant’, with competition now coming from over-the-top (OTT) providers such as WhatsApp or Skype, GO says that maintaining a fair playing field is ‘fundamental’ for competition due to the effect on infrastructure investment. The MCCAA is expected to make a ruling on the planned merger later this year.