We will soon commence a public review of the proposed merger between TPG and Vodafone Hutchison Australia. We are expecting to receive a submission and other information from the parties shortly and the initial timeline for our review to be 12 weeks.
The review will look at competitive impacts in mobile services, where TPG now has a growing presence, and also fixed line, where Vodafone is a discounter. We will also explore likely impacts in related markets, such as spectrum acquisition markets, wholesale services, and mobile roaming. We will be calling for submissions from stakeholders.
The parties have also announced joint venture arrangements relating to spectrum, and potentially network sharing. The ACCC will be investigating the joint venture arrangements to see if they raise competition concerns under the Competition and Consumer Act.