Motorola refused permission to appeal UK emergency services network case

LONDON (Reuters) -Motorola was refused permission to appeal against the British antitrust regulator's findings that it was making "supernormal" profits on its contract to provide communications to Britain's emergency services.

The Competition and Markets Authority said on Friday the Court of Appeal had unanimously dismissed Motorola's application for permission to appeal.

The CMA imposed a price cap on Motorola in July 2023, bringing the price of its Airwave network down to a level it said would be expected in a competitive market and cutting an estimated 200 million pounds ($248 million) of charges a year.

Motorola unsuccessfully challenged the CMA's finding at a tribunal in 2023.

CMA Executive Director George Lusty welcomed the Court of Appeal's decision.

"The Court's judgment today means that our price cap remains in place, which limits how much Motorola can charge emergency services for using its Airwave Network," he said in a statement.

"Today's decision brings this matter to a close."

A spokesperson for Motorola Solutions said Airwave served UK communities and emergency services with mission-critical communications.

"Land mobile radio networks like Airwave remain the communications technology of choice for public safety agencies around the world," the spokesperson said.

"While we continue to strongly disagree with the CMA’s unprecedented decision, we are focused on moving forward and continuing to deliver this world-class emergency communications service for the UK's public safety users."

($1 = 0.8066 pounds)

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar, Kirsten Donovan)