The major telcos are not keen to fight it out for a greater share of the mobile market as they lift prices in lock-step, says the competition watchdog, which blames the merger of TPG Telecom and Vodafone Hutchinson Australia.

The $15 billion union was strongly opposed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission since 2019, and got over the line last year only after a prolonged court action resulted in the regulator’s block being overturned.