Brussels, 17/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has authorised the British telecom operator Vodafone to acquire Singlepoint and Corporate 4U, companies currently controlled by Cauldwell Holdings (United Kingdom). With around two million clients, most of whom use the Vodafone network, Singlepoint is one of the main independent service providers in the mobile telephony sector in the United Kingdom. Its services include credit checking, connection, tariff management and billing. Singlepoint for its part acquires the professional subscribers through the intermediary of Corporate 4U, which deals with contracts. As far as wholesale markets are concerned, the Commission has not noted any competition problem as Vodafone is not dominant at this level, either individually or jointly with one or several other mobile operators. On the retail market, Vodafone is a key player, but the mobile operators, the providers of independent services and distributors are in fierce competition for gaining new clients. There are, moreover, a number of retailers such as Car Phone and Warehouse who hold considerable purchasing power. The large majority of third parties contacted by the Commission subscribe to its analysis and the operation has thus been cleared.