Category Archives: Vodafone
O2 revenues continue to spiral down
Britain’s second biggest mobile carrier O2 witnessed an 8.5 per cent drop in revenues in Q4 2012, despite signing up 282,000 new customers over the period – more than either of its main two rivals.
It’s the second successive drop for the carrier, owned by Spain’s Telefonica, which blamed the Q3 drop on customers delaying renewal of contracts ahead of Apple’s iPhone 5 launch. Continue reading
Vodafone hires leading Google exec Omid Kordestani
Rating: Builds businesses as well as insider Google knowledge
We’re not sure whether Vodafone wants him for his expertise in building businesses or whether they want someone with a clear insight into the search sector. However, Vodafone has appointed Google’s 11th employee, Omid Kordestani, as a non-executive director. Kordestani has held positions in mobile orientated companies before but in ten years, he led Google’s business operations from its inception to a business generating over $20 billion in revenues with over 12,000 employees. No small feat. Continue reading
Loose talk blamed for torpedoing Vodafone’s German deal
Value of Kabel Deutschland soared once word got out
Plans by Vodafone to buy German cable operator, Kabel Deutschland, have been put on ice, following widespread leaks about the deal which are thought to have thrown a spanner in the works. At one point it had been suggested Vodafone had already appointed bankers to advise on the acquisition, though earlier this week CEO Vittorio Colao refused to be drawn further about the bid. Continue reading
Vodafone ‘mulling purchase’ of Spain’s Yoigo
Britain’s Vodafone is said to be secretly mounting a bid for Spanish mobile phone provider Yoigo, though acquisition could cost it between 750 million and 1 billion euros ($989 million-$1.32 billion). Continue reading
Mixed reaction to the HTC One launch
Rating: Camera, Blink Feed, aluminium casing all mentioned
There has been a bit of a mixed reaction to the introduction yesterday [February 19th 2013] of HTC‘s Samsung S3 and Apple iPHone5 killer smartphone – the One. Vodafone seems to view it as just another smartphone in its 4G ready range. Ernest Doku, an expert with uSwitch.com, likes its camera the best. Research analyst with Informa Telecoms & Media, Julian Jest, has gone heavy on the One’s UI which he reckons makes it WP8-like. Meanwhile, UK High Street retailer, Phones 4u, was most impressed by the “beautifully crafted, full aluminium metal body with zero gap construction that took 12 years to perfect.” It did like Blink Feed function too as well as the camera. It looks like things could go either way for the Taiwanese handset manufacturer, though. Continue reading
UK finally sells off its 4G/LTE spectrum
Rating: Sees BT re-entering mobile space ‘super-Wi-fi hotspot’
The UK comms regulator, Ofcom, has finally announced the results of its 4G spectrum auction. The four existing UK mobile operators have won new spectrum and we have seen a subsidiary of fixed-line incumbent, BT -Niche Spectrum Ventures win spectrum, too. This means that BT has re-entered the cellular market after – in our humble opinion, the disastrous decision to float off its mobile arm – O2. But BT many not be planning to become the UK’s fifth national mobile network operator, according to John Delaney a research director for consumer mobile with IDC. Anyway, EE and Vodafone have acquired spectrum in both 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands, while Hutchison (3UK) and Telefonica (O2) only got 800 MHz spectrum. Niche Spectrum Ventures (NSV) only has acquired spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band. Continue reading
Vodafone’s shares hit by triple whammy of doubt
Investors head to the hills as bad news keeps coming
Investors will be looking to see if Vodafone shares continue to slide today [February 20th 2013] after the company’s future performance was questioned on three different fronts. First came the news from rival carrier EE that its pre-tax losses had more than doubled to £249 million in 2012, underlining fears that the mobile phone market was waning. Continue reading
Vodafone ‘in takeover talks’ for German cable firm
Vodafone is the latest telco to enter the frenzy of deal making, with rumours the operator might be mounting a bid for Germany’s biggest cable operator Kabel Deutschland.
Vodafone is thought to be in talks with the firm whose market cap soared to €8.9 billion yesterday [13th February 2013] after word that it might be bought sent its shares up almost nine per cent. Continue reading
Vodafone’s Q3 revenues slip amid ‘difficult conditions’ in Europe
More cost cutting on the agenda
Britain’s Vodafone has reported a fall in third-quarter revenues due to “very difficult market conditions” across Europe, the mobile giant’s biggest market by revenue, but reaffirmed its annual guidance for adjusted operating profit and free cash flow. Revenue fell 2 per cent to £11.39 billion, slightly ahead of market expectations of £11.29 billion. Continue reading
Cruickshank replaced as CEO at Weve after just three months
Nancy Cruickshank, the entrepreneur tasked with rolling out Vodafone’s joint mobile money venture with rivals O2 and EE, is to be replaced as CEO just three months after her formal appointment, it was revealed today [5th February 2013].
Though Cruickshank was always described as launch editor, she had been working behind the scenes since last May as the venture – known as Weve – struggled to get the green light from EU financial regulators. Continue reading
EE to ‘be floated’ on London market by end of 2013
Britain’s largest mobile network EE is being primed for flotation at the end of this year in what could prove to be London’s biggest stock market listing in over two years.
If the IPO succeeds it would raise billions for owners Deutsche Telekom and France Telekom, both of whom are in need of a cash injection to invest in expanding their home networks, acquire new spectrum and pay off debts. Continue reading
New BlackBerry phone ‘available at Vodafone stores from tomorrow’
Comes free with a two year contract, it’s claimed
Vodafone customers will be able to get their hands on RIM‘s new BlackBerry 10 phones within less than 24 hours of today’s launch, it’s claimed. According to The Verge website which says it was tipped off by one of the carrier’s employees, an internal memo reveals how customers will be able to order their BlackBerry Z10 online at 5pm today and then pick it up at any Vodafone store tomorrow [January 31st 2013]. Continue reading
Sun highlights need for real time fraud protection
Rating: Scare story could hinder sales of data roaming packages
Under the headline ‘Network cashing in on crime’, the British newspaper – the Sun on Sunday wrote an article which could seriously scare ordinary folk away from taking their mobile phone with them on holiday. Which could damage mobile operators’ efforts to sell custom data roaming packages to their subscribers – especially business folk. With MWC 2013 fast approaching, this story could also have implications for attendees too. The crux of the issue is that network operators continue to charge subscribers for calls made after a phone has been stolen and until the theft is reported. Continue reading
Vodafone braced for dip as US partner reports Q4 loss
Shares in Vodafone could be in for a pummelling when the London market resumes trading today [23rd January 2013] following Q4 losses reported on the other side of the Atlantic by US partner Verizon Communications.
Though Verizon said that much of the $4.23 billion loss was down to massive charges from its pension plan, debt-related costs and storm damage, it revealed that smartphone subsidies also weighed down results. Continue reading
Britain’s EE could be bought by US teleco giant
But there are plenty others in the frame too
Britain’s biggest mobile operator EE could be the target of a takeover by US telecom’s giant AT&T, it’s claimed, as a virtual guinea pig for its pricing strategies and new technologies. According to the Wall Street Journal, such a purchase would also help AT&T to expand activities beyond American shores as its home market becomes increasingly saturated. Continue reading
