It's been a long time coming, but as of today, TPG and Vodafone have now merged into Australia's third full-service telco. While the merged entity is known as TPG Telecom, TPG and Vodafone will still operate as consumer facing brands, as will all related companies, including Internode, iiNet, and Lebara.
In the short term, the merger won't mean too much for customers of either brand. Vodafone's plans haven't changed, and neither have TPG's. If you've got mobile service from Vodafone and internet from TPG (or vice-versa), you'll still receive two separate bills.
However, Vodafone will be implementing TPG's complementary network infrastructure into its mobile network over the coming months to provide faster speeds and better performance. Vodafone says customers in Canberra and the Melbourne CBD will already see some improvements.
Both telcos have pitched the merger as an opportunity to more effectively compete with Telstra and Optus, leveraging TPG's fixed-line internet assets and Vodafone's mobile network.
When the merger was approved by the Federal Court earlier this year, former Vodafone CEO Iñaki Berroeta (now the CEO of the merged group) said he expected the new company to increase competition in the telco sector.
"For the first time, Australia will have a third, fully-integrated telecommunications company," said Berroeta. "This will give us the scale to compete head-to-head across the whole telecoms market which will drive more competition, investment and innovation, delivering more choice and value for Australian consumers and businesses."
Alex Choros
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