BT Ireland is to transfer its consumer and small business broadband customers, as well as its voice telephone customers, to Vodafone under an agreement between the two telecoms companies.
The deal covers 84,000 customers and 3,000 small businesses. Vodafone says the deal, which is subject to Competition Authority approval, will make it the number two player in the Irish fixed line broadband market after Eircom.
BT will also provide Vodafone with access to its network for a seven-year period, and also says it will make a 'significant investment' in upgrading its infrastructure and improving broadband speeds. BT says it will now focus its business on providing networked IT services to bigger companies and the public sector in Ireland.
The companies say the value of the gross assets involved in the deal is €4.8m. They say a 'small number' of BT Ireland workers will transfer to Vodafone as part of the agreement.
