Vodafone Partner Markets expands in Fiji

Vodafone expanded its Partner Markets relationship with Fijian ally Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH) to the Cook Islands, and potentially elsewhere in the South Pacific. ATH-controlled Telecom Cook Islands adopted the Vodafone brand, in place of its former Bluesky marque, with effect from 15 January 2020. Phillip Henderson, Chief Executive of Vodafone Cook Islands, told Cook Island News that the Vodafone brand will “open the doors for us”. The move follows ATH’s February 2019 acquisition of a 60% stake in Bluesky Pacific Group from Spain’s Amper, giving it control of various telecoms operators and submarine cable interests in the South Pacific, including Telecom Cook Islands. According to Cook Island News, other ATH businesses in American Samoa, Kiribati, Samoa, and Tonga are expected to rebrand to Vodafone later in 2020, under a sub‑licensing arrangement. Vodafone formed a Partner Markets arrangement sale with ATH as part of the sale of its 49% stake in Vodafone Fiji in 2014 (Vodafonewatch, #125). ATH, which was formerly Vodafone’s junior partner in Vodafone Fiji, is the country’s principal telecoms holding company and is majority owned by the Fiji National Provident Fund. Elsewhere in the region, Vodafone has Partner Markets arrangements in place with Vodafone New Zealand (following 2019’s sell‑off) and Vodafone French Polynesia, owned by Pacific Mobile Telecom.