VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Broadband providers Sky and TalkTalk have called on Britain's telecoms regulator to break up BT, the market leader whose network they rely on, in the biggest review of the sector for a decade.

BT (BT.L) finalised a deal on Thursday to buy mobile operator EE for 12.5 billion pounds ($19 billion) and now faces a contested approval process to seal its status as Britain's dominant communications company.

Hutchison Whampoa (0013.HK), owner of Britain's fourth-largest mobile operator Three, is in talks with Telefonica (TEF.MC) about buying its O2 network, the Sunday Times reported, citing unnamed city sources.

Deutsche Telekom considered making a takeover bid for Dutch rival KPN in 2014, with a view to expanding in neighboring countries, sources familiar with the matter said.

EE's German and French owners confirmed on Wednesday they were in talks to sell Britain's biggest mobile network operator to BT (BT.L) as part of a wider review of its options. Fixed-line operator BT said on Monday it was in talks with both Telefonica's (TEF.MC) O2 and a rival operator about buying a mobile business.

Britain's biggest mobile operator EE has agreed to buy 58 stores from retailer Phones 4u [PHONE.UL] for 2.5 million pounds (4 million US dollar), after the retailer was placed in administration a week ago.

To gain foothold for mobile broadband adoption in Europe, AT&T is seeking to acquire major telecoms firms such as Vodafone in the near future.

Two more operators join the 4G race in Britain as it jumps into the superfast mobile top division.

Vodafone would start providing a 4G mobile services for its customers in London this month.