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Australia Watchdog Rules Against Telstra & TPG Over Mobile Sharing Network

By  |  January 12, 2023

The ACCC has ruled against a landmark deal which would see Telstra and TPG arrange a mobile sharing network across regional Australia.

The competition regulator claimed the plan would give Telstra an unassailable lead and could result in Optus pulling out of the market.

Read more: Australian Watchdog Blocks Telstra-TPG Wireless Deal

The ACCC ruled that such a deal, that would have seen the two telcos pool regional resources to cover 17 percent of the country, would give Telstra an unassailable lead in regional Australia – resulting in number two Optus pulling out of the market.

Optus said the 10-year regional “Multi-Operator Core Network” (MOCN) agreement was anti-competitive, and could risk lives during emergencies. It argued that fewer overall towers will stunt emergency response, and that such a deal will give Telstra an unbeatable lead in the race to secure 5G coverage.