China Mobile to buy Three UK on Friday

Link:
China Mobile swoops on “3” | The Register

By end of Friday, Hutchison Whampoa will have announced the sale of its European 3G franchises – both in the UK and in Italy – to China Mobile; thus confounding the hopes of European operators like TIM and Vodafone of picking up some cheap spectrum.

The deal is being finalised today, as 3 UK sends out sample X Series products

Well butter me in jelly and call me Kevin!

Was just sat on the computer when I got a mail from Alex with the headline ‘China Mobile buys 3’ linking me to the above Register story.

Gosh.

You know, instead of China Mobile, I was secretly hoping for a Rupert Murdoch News International acquisition of Three. Then we’d have a bit of an exciting marketplace and Three could relax in it’s ‘We’re a mobile media company’ description. I was also hoping for an Apple acquisition. Heh. Dream on, dream on.

So, China Mobile move into Europe with the purchase. What’s next, I wonder? Not much in the short term reckons The Register.