Rogers deepens connection with European-based Vodafone telecommunications group

TORONTO – The Vodafone Group of telecommunications companies has signed an exclusive Canadian partnership agreement with Rogers Communications (TSX:RCI.B).

Rogers chief executive Guy Laurence, who headed Vodafone UK until he joined Toronto-based Rogers, said the new partnership will be a big benefit to its customers.

“We will draw on expertise and best practices from operators around the world to improve the products and services, like roaming and unified voice solutions, that we offer our consumer and business customers,” Laurence said in a statement Tuesday.

A Vodafone spokesman says the agreement with Rogers is deeper than roaming deals it has with other Canadian carriers, AT&T in the United States and elsewhere as part of the industry norm.

“With Rogers we’ll do more than just roaming,” said Simon Gordon, a Vodafone spokesman, in a phone interview.

“For example, if we had a multinational customer that had offices in all around the world and a satellite office in Toronto, then we’d work jointly with Rogers to service that customer.”

Gordon said Vodafone also has expertise in fourth-generation wireless technologies and the ability to buy network equipment in bulk because of its size so “if Rogers then comes in at the same time, they can realize some discounts.”

Vodafone’s Partner Market group includes about 30 telecommunications companies in 50 countries, not counting Vodafone’s own wholly or partly owned companies, which are predominantly in Europe.

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