17 July 2007

Verizon Wireless and Vodafone

As you may know, the second largest US wireless carrier, Verizon Wireless, is a joint venture between Verizon and Vodafone. This partnership has worked pretty well all in all, though it has posed some challenges for Vodafone, not the least of which has been the use of CDMA in the Verizon Wireless network vs. GSM in the Vodafone network. This has made it difficult for Vodafone to offer the kind of on-net roaming to its customers that it can elsewhere in the world.

The rumor reported inthis article, if true and assuming it is executed as reported, raises some interesting questions:

  • Would Vodafone convert the Verizon wireless system? How would they do this? How much would they be willing to invest?
  • How would this change the competitive dynamics between Verizon and AT&T in the US? Would it make sense for Verizon to continue offering its quadruple-play packages in markets where fiber has been deployed?

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