Vodafone Ltd. (VOD) and Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. (0013.HK) have spoken with regulators about a proposed joint venture between their Australian mobile telecommunications units but don't yet know which way the competition watchdog will rule on the deal, Hutchison Telecommunications (Australia) Ltd.'s (HTA.AU) current chief executive, Nigel Dews, said Monday.

The companies have spoken with Graeme Samuel, chairman of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, Dews said. Samuel gave "no assurances" as to how the commission may rule on the matter, however.

The joint venture, to be called VHA Pty. Ltd., brings together Australia's third and fourth largest mobile players and will have a combined market share of between 25% and 27%, placing it behind both Telstra Corp. (TLS.AU) and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (Z74.SG) unit, Optus, in terms of revenue and subscribers, Dews said.

-By Rachel Pannett, Dow Jones Newswires; 61-2-6208-0901; rachel.pannett@dowjones.com
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