LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) - Vodafone Group hasstruck a network-sharing deal with Wind Hellas, theGreek operator it tried to merge with last year, to save costsin the country where consumers continue to struggle.
The two companies, ranked second and third in the Greekmarket respectively, abandoned plans to combine their operationsin February 2012.
A source said at the time that the bid to create a strongerchallenger to market leader Cosmote failed because ofconcerns that a deal would not get past European regulators.
Vodafone, the world's second largest mobile operator byrevenue, said on Wednesday that the companies would share 2G and3G networks in rural areas and in some urban sites to save costsunder a 15-year agreement.
It will continue to operate its 4G network exclusivelyacross Greece.
Vodafone (VOD)