Sending the Right Signal

In September 2008 the Competition Commission (CC) accepted price control undertakings following the merger of Arqiva and National Grid Wireless (NGW), which had been cleared subject to undertakings by the CC in March 2008. The merger was cleared even though it was a merger to monopoly in the supply to broadcasters of managed transmission services (MTS). Whilst such findings would normally result in prohibition or a structural remedy, the CC accepted a package of behavioural remedies addressing the effects of the substantial lessening of competition (SLC) rather than the SLC per se. This was motivated.…