Vodafone Deals
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M&AVi cashes in from Indus Towers–Infratel merger
Vodafone’s loss-making JV in India gets a much-needed cash boost from sale of Indus stake. Vi reportedly in talks with private equity investors to raise more funds.
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Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone hits open RAN trail in rural Ireland
Modest rollout of 30 sites planned initially, supporting 4G. Supplier partners include Comba Telecom, HP, Parallel Wireless, Supermicro, and VMware. Operator keen to include automation vendors in the open RAN ecosystem.
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M&A
Forthnet share shuffle puts United Group in charge
Pending takeover ends will-they-won’t-they saga of possible Vodafone and Wind buyout. Forthnet MVNO supported by Vodafone Greece yet to be launched commercially, but reflects competitive threat for OpCo to ponder. Move for Wind rumoured as next step for United.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Vodafone looks to unlock Spanish home security market
Vodafone Spain signs strategic agreement with market leader Securitas Direct. Announced shortly after Movistar’s Prosegur JV published its first positive customer acquisition results since its March launch. Telcos increasingly prevalent in Spain’s home security market.
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Venturing & Investments
Tomorrow Street opens door to Block Gemini
Vodafone Procurement Company hoping to reap rewards after Block Gemini’s incubation and initial pilot. Third startup added to the innovation hot-house in just over a month, joining Quantexa and GeoSpock.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Vodafone resets consumer IoT business, targets new markets
Operator looking beyond its own OpCos to meet growth ambitions in the consumer IoT space. Group planning to go direct and indirect in new markets, including France and the USA. Seeking new partners.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Vodafone Group: SpaceMobile-NASA collaboration
NASA working with US satellite venture; Innovus bolsters security; Vodafone’s Harmonic partnership shows its size.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Vi extends IBM remit to big data analytics
Latest IBM deal in India brings Hadoop back into the fold.
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Innovation (R&D)
Vodafone brings 5G to UK CAM testbed
VfUK set to deploy macro 5G coverage along regional CAM route. Move builds on OpCo’s existing future mobility partnership in region, and efforts to tap into key UK government 5G development programme.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Vodafone Portugal strikes network-sharing deal with NOS
Two agree on mixture of passive and ‘active’ sharing of mobile networks, but not spectrum. Both parties insist they can reduce costs without surrendering autonomous, strategic decision-making.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Vodafone Europe: Greece targets submarine business
Vodafone Greece eyes submarine; cashiers going virtual in Spain; Vodafone UK blocked from handset blocking.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Vodafone Africa: Vodacom in SA and Tanzanian trouble
Vodacom reportedly tangled in murder scandal in South Africa, and taking political fire over Tanzanian election.
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Venturing & Investments
GeoSpock takes up residence in Vodafone’s Tomorrow Street
Luxembourg venture makes second addition in a month, with one more expected to follow.
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Products & Services
Vodafone’s fleet management goes green
Green mobility ambition sparks change in Vodafone Business’ fleet management platform. Pro+ version now includes EV/PHEV data tracking. Base models apparently remain traditional.
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Products & Services
Asda Mobile returns to Vodafone UK network
Past flame rekindled as Vodafone regains love for MVNO partners.
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M&A
Vodafone UK’s partner puzzle remains unsolved
Could O2 + Virgin Media = Three for Vodafone UK? Fixed–mobile convergence is a riddle to be solved.
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M&A
Indus Towers–Infratel merger finally moves forward
Rejigged agreement offers a safety net for TowerCo amid ongoing questions over Vi’s future.
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M&A
Vodafone gets India tax break from The Hague
International arbitration court rules against India in long‑running tax dispute surrounding 2007 Hutchison Essar acquisition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government reportedly mulling an appeal, pending legal advice. In separate tax news, India’s Supreme Court calls for ten‑year payback period on outstanding AGR dues.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Vodafone emerging as TIP’s most valuable player
Leads way in sourcing ‘open’ radio hardware suppliers. Targets DU/CU disaggregation and white‑box base stations. Involved in raft of new TIP initiatives, including Solution Groups, OpenBNG, and MUST. Tenorio insists commercial deployments to date are “ tip of the iceberg ”.
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M&A
MÁSMÓVIL CEO calls Vodafone link a “bluff”
Spenger scoffs at recent media reports that MÁSMÓVIL was in consolidation talks with Vodafone. CEO pointedly adds, however, that mergers eliminate “ unnecessary infrastructure costs ”.
