Vodafone has struck a deal with T-Mobile to serve multinational corporate customers in the US.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

December 12, 2014

2 Min Read
Vodafone to Ride T-Mobile Back Into US

Just over a year after selling its Verizon Wireless stake, Vodafone has revealed that it will reenter the US market next year using T-Mobile's network to serve its multinational corporate customers.

Vodafone Americas revealed Friday that it has struck a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) deal with T-Mobile US Inc. . Vodafone says that the agreement will allow it to serve multinational corporations with wireless services in the US.

Vodafone Group plc (NYSE: VOD) has "more than 400" multinational customers based in the US. A further 500 multinational corporate customers have a strong presence in the US, Vodafone says.

The service will launch in the fall of 2015. It is a further international expansion for Vodafone, which says it has networks in 27 countries -- including 16 Vodafone markets with 4G LTE networks -- and more than 75 countries where it has partner agreements.

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T-Mobile is one of the logical choices for an MVNO network in the US for international Vodafone users who may not have 4G LTE phones but can connect on T-Mobile's 3G GSM-based network in the US.

Larger GSM and LTE rival AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) would be the other logical choice for a US partner network for Vodafone. Despite regular chatter about a merger between Vodafone and AT&T, however, T-Mobile has won this particular deal with the UK-based giant. (See Euronews: Vodafone Shares up on AT&T Takeover Rumor.)

Vodafone sold its stake in US 3G CDMA and LTE operator Verizon Wireless for $130 billion in September 2013 and closed the deal in February 2014. (See Vodafone Agrees to $130B Verizon Stake Sale.)

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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