Google looks to strike international mobile free roaming partnership with Hutchison Whampoa
Google has been negotiating with Three UK owner Hutchison Whampoa to ensure members of its mobile network in the US will not have to pay international roaming charges.
The partnership could give Google a strong international foothold with Hutchison Whampoa operating networks in Italy, Vietnam, Ireland, Austria, Sweden, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Shri Lanka, Macau and Denmark, according to the Telegraph.
Most recently in the UK, Hutchison Whampoa snapped up O2 in the UK from Telefónica for £9.25bn, although the agreement is still subject to the EU competition approval.
Last month, the internet giant announced it was looking to strike up mobile partnerships across the globe, with product chief Sundar Pichai, stating that the operation would be on a “small scale”.
The company will not be building a mobile mast network but will instead piggyback existing infrastructure.
The firm is focused on eliminating high roaming fees for those using messaging, phone calls or data allowance abroad in a move which could prove favourable with frequent travellers.
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