Apple's popularity among managers of mobile phone operators seems to be quite low and the basis is the extremely strict contracts imposed by the company. Apple requires operators to sign contracts by which they oblige themselves to buy predetermined quantities of iDevices, regardless of whether that operator sells those terminals or not. Many operators, especially from Europe, are dissatisfied with the situation, and some of them, especially from France, they sent to the European Commission parts of the contracts concluded with Apple.
European Union regulators are examining the contracts Apple strikes with cellphone carriers that sell its iPhone for possible antitrust violations after several carriers complained that the deals throttled competition. Although they have not filed formal complaints, a group of European wireless carriers recently submitted information about their contracts with Apple to the European Commission, according to a person briefed on the communications with the carriers who asked not to be identified.
The problem raised by the operators lies in the fact that they are obliged to sell the terminals they buy and thus focus on a single producer, instead of focusing on all, possible violations of the antitrust laws being able to get out of here. Although no complaint has been filed against Apple for violating antitrust legislation, the European Commission is monitoring the situation and will intervene if necessary to stop Apple's practices and to impose fines if necessary.
The commission is not obliged to act until it receives a formal complaint of anticompetitive behavior. That it is already examining the contracts suggests that it is taking the carriers' concerns seriously. The issues do not appear to apply to carriers in the United States; an executive at an American carrier said the terms of its contract with Apple were aggressive but not unreasonable.
The European Commission cannot start an antitrust investigation until a complaint is filed and the operators have good reasons not to do so. Most of them are forced by their customers to sell iPhones and are forced to conclude these contracts with Apple, and the interesting part is that in the US things are not the same. The American operators do not complain about the same problems and it is strange why the Europeans are starting only now. No matter what the problems are between Apple and the operators, as long as the customers want the terminals, the operators don't really have a choice.
