The UK’s media watchdog Ofcom said the two accounts for 70-80% of the industry, while Google accounts for 5-10%.

In April, Ofcom had expressed concern that businesses were unable to switch providers due to a lack of competition.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been asked to investigate the sector.

In general, cloud computing refers to the storage of data online that can be accessed at any time and from any location.

In 2022, Ofcom estimates that the UK cloud services market will be worth up to £7.5 billion.

According to CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell, many businesses now completely rely on cloud services.

In order to unlock the full potential of these rapidly evolving digital markets, strong competition ensures a level playing field that will benefit people, businesses, and the UK economy.

The CMA’s independent inquiry group will investigate whether competition in this market is working well and, if not, what measures should be taken to address any issues found.”

By April 2025, the CMA said it would conclude its investigation.

The UK’s growing cloud infrastructure market has been distorted for too long by anti-competitive issues such as data egress fees and technical lock-ins, according to Nicky Stewart, former Cabinet Office ICT director.

It is imperative that the CMA thoroughly investigates all the deep-seated issues in this critical market which supports so much of our nation’s digital infrastructure, including anti-competitive licensing practices.”