There's been industry speculation that Vodafone might pull out of the Australian market. Clearly that's not the case with the proposed merger with 3 Mobile, which is subject to approval by the ACCC and the Foreign Investment Review Board.
In Australia, Vodafone never matched its success in Europe and 3 has been a financial drain for Hutchison. So where did these two companies go wrong and will they fare any better as a combined entity?
Will they need a fixed line component to grow revenues and retain their customer base? Can they really compete against the strength of Telstra's Next G network?
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Phil Dobbie is a broadcaster and businessman with more than 15 years commercial experience across the telecommunications, internet, tourism, advertising and radio industries. Dobbie also provides a daily podcast for our sister site BNET.com. Join him for BTalk Australia, where he provides a lively and insightful view on business issues, adding his blend of irony and humour to the discussions.