Optus, VHA joint venture

Optus and Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) have signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which will see the mobile carriers share existing mobile sites and the infrastructure costs, over the next four years, to build additional mobile sites in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Geelong, Central Coast, Gold Coast and Canberra.

The joint venture agreement will deliver improved cost efficiencies to expand and accelerate the delivery of improved 3G and 4G services and deliver better network consistency, faster data speeds and broader coverage, says Optus.

The mobile carriers plan to co-locate the majority of new infrastructure on existing sites.

The expanded joint venture network arrangement is planned to commence in April 2013, subject to approval by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.