In Ireland O2 was the smaller partner, but in the UK O2 is was the second biggest operator after EE. "The agreement is a win-win for both companies which were looking increasingly vulnerable as pure-play mobile operators in a market rapidly transitioning towards multi-play," said Kester Mann analyst for research company CCS Insight.
The second biggest operator in the industry is tiny Caribou Coffee.
And there is speculation Mr Drahi will make an offer for Bouygues Telecom, the third-biggest operator in France, for perhaps €7.5 billion-€9 billion.
Bouygues, the third-biggest operator, made a last-ditch attempt to burst back into contention the evening of March 20th with a much higher offer backed by a clutch of the French economy's great and near-great.
Bouygues Telecom, the third-biggest operator, offered consolidation of the ultra-competitive sector as it now exists, cutting the number of mobile providers from four to three with a view to boosting revenues and increasing badly needed investment.
Among big European markets, only in Italy and Spain, where recession has been deep and long, have operators suffered more.Hostilities may become less intense in France if Bouygues Telecom, the third-biggest operator, buys the second, SFR, from Vivendi, an ex-conglomerate that intends to concentrate on media.
Sprint had 55 million customers in the U.S. on its wireless networks, making it the third-biggest operator in the U.S. Dish is the country's third-biggest pay-TV provider.
"But if Patrick Drahi becomes the second biggest telecoms operator in France," she added, "it would be logical that he should repatriate his fiscal residence to France and manage his affairs from Paris".
Unfortunately, perhaps, John C. Malone, the chairman of TCI, the first big cable operator that was bought by AT&T, also knew it.
British Telecom, which 15 years ago became the first big European operator to be privatised, was gradually exposed to competition, and at a time when telecoms markets were more stable and prices higher than they are today.
