Could tables be turned on Carphone Warehouse?
Wednesday 14 May 2008 12:01:29 by Andrew Ferguson
There was a time in UK broadband when it was the smaller providers with 200,000 or less customers that were seen as the prime takeover targets, but now that economies of scale are the big thing even large providers like Tiscali and Carphone Warehouse appear to have an unsettled future.
We reported yesterday that Tiscali had said no to the Carphone Warehouse offer for Tiscali, but it seems Tiscali has not formerly told Carphone Warehouse this, so they may still be in the running.
"We have not heard anything from Tiscali, so as far as we are concerned we are still in the game,...
We are regarding the reports as speculative."Carphone Warehouse spokesman talking to The Independent
The Independent article also suggests that Orange may be the next big acquisition target among the remaining large players.
Analysts quoted in The Financial Times suggest that if Carphone Warehouse is sidelined at such an early stage of the bidding that it may itself become a target for acquisition.
With the number of large providers shrinking there is a real danger that the business plans of one or two providers will influence regulatory bodies to the point where a single companies interests are catered for rather than looking at the much wider market which still has hundreds of smaller providers. The needs of consumers and small businesses coming a distant third.
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Oh how right you are chrysalis. Consumers do come last in OFCOM eyes unless of course the Euopean comisioner acts then they will follow an anouncement in seconds. They remain a teapot made of chocolate obviously the best and smothest chocolate as its financed by those it polices or rather protects and that certainly is not the consumer. Now open your eyes all to the new members of the ofcom consumer panel.
quote"will influence regulatory bodies to the point where a single companies interests are catered for rather than looking at the much wider market"
Does this not happen already from the likes of ofcom and feet kissing of BT?
Carpetburn bringing BT into every discussion...
Or to a person with a brain you could see it as me taking a quote and asking does that not already happen with the organisation i named.
Its called debate about a subject matter in the news item.. oh who am i kidding you dont get that
consumers come last anyway when it comes to the regulators, we already know ofcoms remit is to keep a competitive market and not to look after consumers. A market this competitive is not sustainable either the retail prices are too low.