BT and Vodafone have agreed a seven-year strategic partnership in Ireland. As part of the agreement -- which is subject to approval from the Irish Competition Authority -- BT will transfer its consumer and small business broadband and voice customer base to Vodafone. BT will also develop Vodafone's broadband infrastructure (with speeds of up to 24Mbs for approximately two thirds of available broadband lines). The deal will give Vodafone wholesale access to BT's advanced network. Further, Vodafone will become the second biggest fixed line provider in Ireland, with over 170,000 fixed line customers and a 15 percent market share of the fixed broadband market. BT says it will now focus its business on providing networked IT services to bigger companies and the public sector in Ireland. More than 84,000 consumers and 3,000 small businesses currently with BT will transfer to Vodafone over the next several months. The companies say the value of the gross assets involved in the deal is EUR4.8 million.

Courtesy: ENN


-