Australian telecommunications carrier Telstra has signed an agreement with
Telecom Italia’s wholly-owned subsidiary Tele Media International (TMI)
for the provision of international data and Internet protocol (IP) services.
Under the deal, Telstra customers will gain access to the global
network and support services of TMI, making Telstra an exclusive
regional provider of TMI services to customers in Australia and New Zealand.
In return, TMI will be able to expand its interests outside Europe
into new markets.
Telstra and TMI said the two companies are seeking to establish a
long-term partnership, and believed they could create this global
business relationship by targeting common areas for business growth.
“For Telstra, it [the deal] is another strategic building block in
our global partnership strategy and will extend our ability to deliver
business solutions deeper into Asia, Europe and the Americas,” said
Telstra’s managing director of international retail, Warren Grace.
“The Asian division of TMI and Telstra have commenced working on a
number of significant global opportunities, and this agreement extends
our ability to provide customers with private data and IP networks
across the globe,” he said.
Meanwhile, Telstra and KPN (Royal Dutch Telecom) have finalized an
agreement to form a joint venture (JV) company ‘Station 12’ by merging
their respective mobile satellite communications businesses.
Telstra and KPN will contribute approximately AUS$241.6 million
(US$145 million) in combined net tangible assets to launch the venture, with
equity shares of 35 percent (Telstra) and 65 percent (KPN).