Britain's competition regulator said on Wednesday it was investigating whether Hewlett Packard Enterprise's planned $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks would result in competition concerns in the country.

The Competition and Markets Authority has until Aug. 14 to decide whether it would refer the deal to a deeper probe.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise, or HPE, said in January it would buy networking gear maker Juniper to spruce up its artificial intelligence (AI) offerings.

HPE expects to double its networking business through the deal, which came as the AI gold rush has led companies to pour billions of dollars into upgrading and developing their technology.

U.S.-based HPE and Juniper did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. The U.S. market is closed for the Juneteenth holiday.

  - Reuters