The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority said Tuesday that Vodafone and Three's £15 billion ($19.5 billion) merger will likely be approved if the two firms proceed with billions of pounds of infrastructure investment and add customer protections.

The $19 billion merger between Vodafone and Hutchison's Three UK is likely to be given the regulatory green light as Britain's need for investment outweighs short-term competition concerns. Britain's

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the merger of Vodafone and Three has "the potential to be pro-competitive for the UK mobile sector".

The £15 billion merger between Vodafone and Three in the UK has the potential to be “pro-competitive” if the mobile networks commit to investing in the country’s infrastructure and avoid early price increases,

Vodafone’s deal to merge its U.K. business with rival operator Three could proceed if competition concerns are addressed, the country’s antitrust authority said.

The merger between Vodafone and Hutchison's Three UK is likely to be given the go ahead as investment commitments overcome concerns over competition, a British regulator said in a provisional ruling on Tuesday.