Centrica signs major players for telecom venture

NEWS UK energy group Centrica has signed up Vodafone, Torch Telecom and Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) as partners for its telecommunications venture due for September. Centrica will invest £150m over the next two years to provide integrated fixed and mobile services throughout the UK. The company aims to have more than one million customers signed up by the end of next year. Torch Telecom and CWC will provide the residential fixed line services while Vodafone will handle wireless. Vodafone will also provide long-time customer Centrica with technical assistance for billing systems, facilities management and marketing.