The number of players in Australia’s $13 billion-a-year mobile phone sector just got smaller after the competition watchdog said yesterday it would not stand in the way of a merger between the No. 3 and No. 4 players, Vodafone Australia and Hutchison “3″, reports The Australian.

In February, Vodafone and Hutchison announced they had agreed to merge businesses in a bid to boost their competitiveness against rivals Telstra and Optus.

To read this report in The Australian in full, see:
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25557959-643,00.html

Also see:

Vodafone-Hutchison merger can proceed, says ACCC
Vodafone and Hutchison have been given the go-ahead to merge, creating the third-largest telco in the country and threatening Optus’ hold on second place.

After more than three months’ deliberation, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission last night announced that it had run the rule over the merger and decided it was not anti-competitive.
business.theage.com.au/business/vodafonehutchison-merger-can-proceed-says-accc-20090529-bqc3.html