U.S. satellite giant Viasat's $7.3 billion takeover of UK rival Inmarsat faces in-depth competition probe
In this article VSAT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The offices of satellite operator Inmarsat in central London. Leon Neal | AFP | Getty Images The U.K.'s competition regulator launched an in-depth probe into American satellite internet company Viasat's $7.3 billion deal to buy British rival Inmarsat. The Competition and Markets Authority on Friday referred the takeover for a so-called "Phase 2" competition investigation, concerned it would make it harder for competitors such as Elon Musk's SpaceX, U.K. firm OneWeb and Canadian operator Telesat to do business with the aviation sector. Specifically, the CMA is worried the deal would lead to higher prices for onboard Wi-Fi on plane flights. The watchdog has said Viasat and Inmarsat "compete closely in the aviation sector, particularly for the supply of onboard wifi for passenger use." While these in-flight connectivity (IFC) services are only offered by a handful of players currently,...