Escriva said on Tuesday that the resulting entity will become Spain’s biggest operator with around 30 million mobile customers in what he calls a “truly ambitious” move.
The merger was approved by the European Commission last month and the deal will take the form of a 50/50 venture, co-controlled by both companies.
This move could see EU regulators begin to ease rules surrounding telco mergers in a bid to speed up the rollout of 5G.