Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Vodafone in February rejected a more than 11 billion euro ($11.15 billion) offer for its Italian business from Iliad and Apax Partners, saying it was not in the best interest of its shareholders. Picture: REUTERS/TOBY MELVILLE
London — Vodafone is in talks with CK Hutchison about merging their businesses in Britain to create a market-leading mobile network that could accelerate the rollout of 5G services and expand broadband availability.
Vodafone said on Monday it would own 51% and Hutchison 49% under the deal being discussed, with the stakes achieved by adjusting ownership of debt rather than exchanging any cash.
Combining Vodafone UK and Hutchison’s Three, Britain’s third and fourth largest networks respectively, would create a business with about 27-million customers — more than current leaders BT’s EE and Virgin Media O2.
“By combining our businesses, Vodafone UK and Three UK will gain the necessary scale to be able to accelerate the rollout of full 5G in the UK and expand broadband connectivity to rural communities and small businesses,” Vodafone said in a statement.
The two companies hope to strike a deal by the end of the year, according to an earlier Sky report.
Shares in Vodafone were up 2.1% at 103p on Monday, compared with a 0.6% fall in the FTSE 100.
Vodafone CEO Nick Read said in February the company was pursuing mergers in multiple European markets to improve returns where players barely cover the costs of the capital required to invest in networks.
Regulators have previously opposed deals that reduce the number of networks in major markets from four to three, but there are signs that this position has changed since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hutchison attempted to buy Telefonica’s O2 network in Britain seven years ago but was blocked by regulators.
Telefonica went on to create a joint venture with Liberty Global’s Virgin Media, creating a fixed-line and mobile operator to challenge former incumbent BT.
Vodafone noted in its statement that regulator Ofcom had described Vodafone UK and Three UK as subscale operators, which lacked the size to earn their cost of capital and therefore could fall further behind the two market leaders.
Read, under pressure from long-suffering investors to improve returns at the pan-European operator, had named Britain as one of four major markets that would benefit from consolidation.
Vodafone missed out on a deal in Spain, where rivals Orange and MasMovil are pursuing a merger to challenge Telefonica, while it rejected an offer for its business in Italy from Xavier Niel’s Iliad earlier this year.
Niel acquired a 2.5% stake in Vodafone this month, bringing another possible activist to its register in addition to Cevian Capital.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Vodafone and Hutchison’s Three in UK merger talks
London — Vodafone is in talks with CK Hutchison about merging their businesses in Britain to create a market-leading mobile network that could accelerate the rollout of 5G services and expand broadband availability.
Vodafone said on Monday it would own 51% and Hutchison 49% under the deal being discussed, with the stakes achieved by adjusting ownership of debt rather than exchanging any cash.
Combining Vodafone UK and Hutchison’s Three, Britain’s third and fourth largest networks respectively, would create a business with about 27-million customers — more than current leaders BT’s EE and Virgin Media O2.
“By combining our businesses, Vodafone UK and Three UK will gain the necessary scale to be able to accelerate the rollout of full 5G in the UK and expand broadband connectivity to rural communities and small businesses,” Vodafone said in a statement.
The two companies hope to strike a deal by the end of the year, according to an earlier Sky report.
Shares in Vodafone were up 2.1% at 103p on Monday, compared with a 0.6% fall in the FTSE 100.
Vodafone CEO Nick Read said in February the company was pursuing mergers in multiple European markets to improve returns where players barely cover the costs of the capital required to invest in networks.
Regulators have previously opposed deals that reduce the number of networks in major markets from four to three, but there are signs that this position has changed since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hutchison attempted to buy Telefonica’s O2 network in Britain seven years ago but was blocked by regulators.
Telefonica went on to create a joint venture with Liberty Global’s Virgin Media, creating a fixed-line and mobile operator to challenge former incumbent BT.
Vodafone noted in its statement that regulator Ofcom had described Vodafone UK and Three UK as subscale operators, which lacked the size to earn their cost of capital and therefore could fall further behind the two market leaders.
Read, under pressure from long-suffering investors to improve returns at the pan-European operator, had named Britain as one of four major markets that would benefit from consolidation.
Vodafone missed out on a deal in Spain, where rivals Orange and MasMovil are pursuing a merger to challenge Telefonica, while it rejected an offer for its business in Italy from Xavier Niel’s Iliad earlier this year.
Niel acquired a 2.5% stake in Vodafone this month, bringing another possible activist to its register in addition to Cevian Capital.
Reuters
Standard Bank considers expansion in North Africa
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
Vodacom steps up financial services with small cash loans
Orange and MasMovil in $19bn telecom merger
MTN’s Telkom takeover could pit premium offer against lofty expectations
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.