After two years, TPG and Vodafone Australia finally merge The merger of Australia’s third and fourth operators – Vodafone Hutchison (VHA) and fixed provider TPG – has finally taken place after two years of negotiation with the Competition and Consumer Commission. As in many other markets, Australia’s antitrust agency was concerned about the reduction of the number of MNOs from four to three. But the Federal Court overruled the Commission in February, arguing that TPG would not invest in 5G infrastructure if it were left standalone, whereas a stronger third player would increase competition to the leaders, Telstra and Optus, and improve consumer choice. The combined entity will be worth AUS$16.63bn (€10.03bn). It will be called TPG Telecom. TPG has…