Another Day, Another Deal in Telco Land, as TPG Telecom Gets Closer to Vodafone

Hard on the heels of the Vocus-M2 merger announcement and the recent completion of its own AUD 1.4 billion iiNet acquisition, TPG Telecom unveiled yet another deal. It is one that could have far greater long-term implications than the AUD 1 billion face value of the network tie-up, as it deepens the company's relationship with Vodafone Australia. By itself, the two-part deal is a mutually beneficially one. The agreement by TPG to provide dark fibre infrastructure future-proofs Vodafone's network in what is an increasingly capacity-hungry mobile space. It also saves costs by allowing Vodafone to consolidate its various fibre providers to just one.