O2 (Ireland) fixed line and mobile services are branded as movistar. In January 2009, it was revealed that Ireland was nearly the most profitable market in the world for multinational mobile operators like O2. On 23 March 2009 Vodafone and O2's parent company Telefónica announced a deal to share their existing networks in Ireland and rollout future infrastructure jointly. On 6 April 2011 it was announced that Telefónica O2 Ireland and Eircom had agreed a new network sharing partnership. On 24 June 2013, it was announced that Hutchison Whampoa would acquire Telefónica's Irish mobile operations for €780 million, to be merged into
State monopoly government monopoly. For example, in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, government-owned companies have monopolies for selling alcoholic beverages. Casinos and other institutions for gambling might also be monopolized. In Finland, the government has also a monopoly to operate slot machines. Governments often create or allow monopolies to exist and grant them patents. This limits entry and allow the patent-holding firm to earn a monopoly profit from an invention. Health care systems where the government controls the industry and specifically prohibits competition, such as in Canada, are government monopolies. State monopoly In economics, a government monopoly (or public monopoly) is a