Two months after first announcing plans, Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom have signed a final agreement to combine T-Mobile UK and Orange UK operations.
"Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom have committed themselves to a long-term partnership with this joint venture contract," Telekom's finance chief Timotheus Hoettges said in a press release. The companies won't be able to implement any changes until the joint venture secures regulatory approval sometime in 2010.
"We hope that we can close the deal and implement the joint venture by the middle of next year," T-Mobile UK Managing Director Richard Moat told Dow Jones Newswires.
Both brands, Orange and T-Mobile will remain separate for at least 18 months before any decision is made on combining the two. The UK merger should see T-Mobile also offering Apple's iPhone at some stage. Orange starts selling the smartphone from next week, Tuesday 10th November.
T-Mobile's Moat confirmed Deutsche Telekom is talking to Apple about selling the iPhone in countries that it doesn't already offer the smartphone. Deutsche Telekom have rights to the iPhone in Germany, Hungary, Croatia and the Netherlands.
The pair predict 4 billion euros savings through the joint venture.
T-Mobile hops to follow Orange in selling the iconic iPhone.
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