The UK’s smallest mobile operator 3 has raised its concern with the European Commission about being left out of the mobile payment venture between the country's other mobile operators: Vodafone, Telefonica O2 and Everything Everywhere.  3UK claims its exclusion will reduce competition in the mobile payments market.  The operator’s general counsel Stephen Lerner (pictured) accused rivals of a “cozy collaboration”.  Its rivals claim they are not being anticompetitive because 3UK can still access the venture's payments services and underlying technology on the same terms as the venture’s founding partners. However, 3UK was not invited to join the founding partners when the venture was set up. The operators claim the omission of the UK’s smallest operator was done so the venture could move forward faster.  In the future, they would look “for further participation” from industry, they added. The larger operators are expected to formally submit their plans to the EC in the next few weeks.

3UK voiced its unhappiness at the time its rivals announced their new venture in June so the current action is not surprising. Interestingly, the UK is not the only country in Europe where a smaller player has not been included in a payments joint venture. In Germany, the mpass venture does not include E-Plus alongside its three larger rivals. However like 3UK, E-Plus is free to offer the venture’s service if it wants. However, operators in Denmark, Hungary and the Netherlands have all adopted a more inclusive approach with everyone included in their mobile payments ventures.