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By Paul Sandle
LONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd has received the EU's list of objections to itstakeover of Telefonica's O2, which will createBritain's biggest mobile operator and cut the number of networksto three, a person familiar with the situation said.
European Union antitrust regulators launched a fullinvestigation last October into Hutchison's 10.3 billion pound($16 billion) bid for the Spanish company's network in the UK,concerned that the deal may push up prices.
"Hutchison has received a copy of the statement ofobjections on Thursday and is now reviewing it," the source saidon Friday.
The Hong Kong-based company, which already owns Three,Britain's smallest network, showed it was willing to address anycompetition concerns on Tuesday by saying it would freeze pricesfor five years if the deal got the go-ahead.
It also said it would invest 5 billion pounds in itsbusinesses in Britain.
The verdict from EU anti-trust regulators will show if atougher line on more concentrated ownership has held since theyscuppered a deal in Denmark in September.
European telecoms companies have argued that consolidationwill enable them to invest in faster networks, but regulatorshave been concerned that it pushes up prices.
The British telecoms regulator urged Brussels to block theThree-O2 tie-up last month, saying there was a risk thatconsumers could face higher mobile bills.
Ofcom Chief Executive Sharon White said it could also upsetexisting network-sharing agreement in Britain.
Three currently has a network sharing agreement with BT's EE network, while Vodafone has a deal with o2. (Editing by Adrian Croft and Alexander Smith)