EU starts in depth study of Deutsche Telekom, Tele2's Dutch deal

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Tuesday it had opened an in-depth investigation into Deutsche Telekom's planned purchase of the Dutch operations of Sweden's Tele2.

"We are opening this in-depth investigation to ensure, that the proposed transaction between T-Mobile NL and Tele2 NL will not lead to higher prices or less choice in mobile services for Dutch consumers," Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

The move by the European Commission underscores once again its concerns on telecoms deals where the number of players are reduced from four to three.

(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by Philip Blenkinsop)