In Battle for Digital India, Vodafone Teams Up With Idea Cellular
The fight took another turn on Monday when Vodafone, a British carrier, announced
that it was combining its Indian unit with Idea Cellular, a local operator, in a $23 billion deal that would create one of the world’s largest cellphone providers, with roughly 400 million subscribers in India.
"The survival of 10 to 12 local operators isn’t a long-term reality." Under the terms of the deal announced on Monday, Vodafone
and Idea would merge their operations in India to create the country’s largest carrier, with roughly 35 percent of the market, based on subscriber figures.
Mr. Mahtani said that I use data constantly — Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube — in addition to work,
By MARK SCOTTMARCH 20, 2017
India is fast becoming the new battleground for global technology
and telecommunications giants, as Facebook, Vodafone and others vie to connect the country’s population of 1.2 billion to the internet.
The companies said the merger would allow them to invest heavily in faster mobile networks across India.
Facebook tried to break into the country’s telecom market by offering some internet services, based around its social network
and messaging apps, free through a partnership with a local carrier.