Optus and its controlling shareholder have told interested parties they would make a decision Monday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, citing unnamed industry sources.
SingTel's threat to drop its takeover bid for C&W Optus is seen as aimed at increasing pressure on Optus and Cable & Wireless, which favor a rival proposal by Vodafone Group Plc.
Vodafone's proposal depends on winning approval from the nation's antitrust regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Putting more pressure on Optus and Cable & Wireless is the fact that commission chairman Allan Fels said that while he "hopes" to have a decision by the end of March, the Vodafone proposal is "complicated." The commission had earlier said that their investigations would be completed this month.
Vodafone is the third largest mobile phone operator with 19 percent of Australia's market. Optus is No 2, with 33 percent, and Telstra tops the list with about 46 percent.
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