Vodafone (VOD.US) and Hutchison Whampoa's UK unit Three UK are expected to get the go-ahead for their £15bn ($19.5bn) merger, provided the companies commit to a major upgrade of the UK's mobile network, according to the UK's competition regulator. The Competition and Markets Authority also said the companies should take steps to protect consumers from price rises. The CMA provisionally found that the commitment to the network investment plan would significantly improve the quality of the merged company's mobile network and promote competition between mobile network operators. The regulator will make a final decision on the Vodafone-Three UK merger on December 7. In June 2023, Hutchison Whampoa announced it had reached a binding agreement with Vodafone to integrate their telecoms businesses in the UK. Hutchison Whampoa said it would form a joint venture with Vodafone, with Three UK and Vodafone UK becoming subsidiaries of the joint venture. The new joint venture shareholders will include Vodafone and Hutchison Whampoa's European telecoms company CKHGTH (CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited), with Vodafone and Hutchison Whampoa owning 51 per cent and 49 per cent respectively. The deal values the merged company at about £9bn, with the new company having about £6bn of debt, giving it an enterprise value of about £15bn, according to people familiar with the matter. If the deal goes through, it will create the UK's largest mobile operator by revenue. Karen Egan, an analyst at research firm Enders Research, said: “If this merger goes through, it will be better for the UK.” She added that blocking the deal “would not be a positive for the economy or consumers”. Vodafone said the companies had committed to investing £11bn in the merged company and were willing to let the UK's communications regulator oversee the plan's implementation. The company also said it expected mobile prices to remain unchanged or fall due to increased competition in the wholesale market. The companies said in a statement: “The UK's digital infrastructure is significantly behind that of our European peers. This merger is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the UK's digital infrastructure.”