T-Mobile and Orange merger approved

A MERGER between two of the UK’s largest mobile phone companies has been approved – but it is not known what that will mean for 3,000 workers in Hatfield.

The proposed joint venture between T-Mobile and Orange was approved by the European Commission this week, giving the green light for the two phone giants to form one operator serving around 30m customers.

It will make the new company the UK’s largest provider with 37 per cent of the market, eclipsing current leader 02 by 10 per cent.

Tim H�ttges, CFO of Deutsche Telekom, which operates T-Mobile said: “This is excellent news, for our customers, for our highly committed teams in the UK and for our shareholders.”

But the joint venture also raises questions over the future of the 3,000 workers at T-Mobile’s national headquarters in Hatfield Business Park.

So far, neither company has given details on potential job cuts.

And a spokeswoman for T-Mobile said it was too early to say where the company would be based after the merger, which is not expected to be completed for at least the next 18 months.