The Austrian competition authority has received information from whistleblowers concerning parallel price increases by mobile operators A1, Magenta and Drei, who all plan to increase their mobile and internet tariffs in March. While this might appear to signal collusion, parallel behaviour is allowed. The simultaneous price hikes are therefore not evidence of impermissible agreements restricting competition, which is why the competition authority (as well as the telecom regulator) will take no immediate enforcement action. Market participants having further information on alleged impermissible collusion are referred to the authorities' whistleblowing hotlines. For now, the regulators have invited the telecom companies to a roundtable to explain the situation and safeguard effective competition going forward.
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