United Kingdom: Opened consultation on CMA provisional findings in investigation into Viasat/Inmarsat merger

On 1 March 2023, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its provisional findings following the in-depth investigation launched on October 2022 concerning the Viasat and Inmarsat merger. The CMA has opened a consultation on its provisional findings until 21 March 2023. The CMA has provisionally found that, while the companies compete closely in the supply of satellite connections for onboard wifi, the deal does not substantially reduce competition for services provided on flights used by UK customers. The CMA reached this conclusion after finding that the satellite communications sector is rapidly expanding, with new competitors such as Starlink entering the market and established firms like Intelsat and Panasonic expanding their business. The significant competition that VIASAT/Inmarsat will face has led to the CMA provisionally concluding that airlines and their UK customers will not be adversely affected by the merger. The CMA will issue its final report on 30 March 2023 following the public consultation.