LONDON (Thomson Financial) - The telecoms regulator on Thursday fined the Greek unit of UK mobile giant Vodafone 19.1 mln eur for violating network regulations in a wire-tapping scandal that rocked the country last year.

The fine is the second handed to Vodafone Hellas over the case after a 76 mln eur penalty levelled by Greece's communication privacy watchdog last December.

Some 100 Vodafone cellphones in February 2006 were found to have been compromised by an illicit network that tapped sets used by Greek Premier Costas Karamanlis, his wife and several ministers from June 2004 to March 2005.

The tapping used software slipped into Vodafone's network by unknown perpetrators to illegally activate an Ericsson-made module permitting call interception.

On Thursday, the national telecommunications regulator EETT accused Vodafone of breaching regulations on the protection of telecommunications privacy, network maintenance and quality, and consumer protection.

The company rejected last December's fine as 'illegal, unfair and baseless.'

A Greek parliament committee collecting evidence on the case last November noted the involvement of three employees of telecoms giants Ericsson Hellas and Vodafone Greece, identified only by their initials.

'The whole system could not operate without Ericsson know-how and without access from within (Vodafone),' the report said.

The Greek branch of Swedish telecom equipment giant Ericsson has also been fined 7.36 mln eur over the case.

The parliamentary committee did not rule out the involvement of other people operating outside Greece.

The Greek justice department has opened an investigation into the case but nobody has yet been charged.

Days before the affair came to light, a senior Vodafone expert was found hanged inside his home.

The death of Costas Tsalikidis, manager of Vodafone Greece's network planning section, was linked to the case and his family suspects he was murdered.

I had a cheeky short on AU. yesterday nice 52 points profit on close today.

in what have been consistently vile markets, and it's disturbing to see this morning's gains already comfortably lost, VOD has been performing very well ...... chart below shows sp has now broken north through 200 dma, which can be no bad thing

Added a few @155.95.

don't forget Verizon Wireless workers are on strike in the US which may impact on their bottom line.

RNS Number : 1392M

Vodafone Group Plc

10 August 2011

10 August 2011

PIRAMAL HEALTHCARE TO ACQUIRE 5.5% STAKE IN VODAFONE ESSAR

Vodafone Group ("Vodafone") and Piramal Healthcare ("Piramal") today announced that Piramal has agreed to purchase approximately 5.5% of the issued equity share capital of Vodafone Essar Limited ("VEL") from ETHL Communications Holdings Limited ("Essar") for cash consideration of approximately US$640 million (GBP400 million(1) ).

The transaction follows the settlement between Vodafone and Essar over the sale of Essar's approximately 33% stake in VEL, announced on 1 July 2011.

The transaction contemplates various exit mechanisms for Piramal, including both participation in a potential initial public offering of VEL and a sale of its stake to Vodafone(2) .

- ends -

India's telecommunications regulator has sought clarification from Bharti Airtel Ltd. (532454.BY), Idea Cellular Ltd. (532822.BY) and Vodafone Essar Ltd. on their recent moves to hike rates for some of their call services, Chairman J.S. Sarma said Thursday.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India will also seek similar clarification from Reliance Communications Ltd. (532712.BY), Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of a regulatory meeting.

"We'll examine what are the reasons they hiked, whether this hike is [justifiable]...whether there is any substance in what the people [companies] are claiming," he said.

Bharti Airtel, India's largest mobile phone operator by subscribers, along with Idea and Vodafone Essar, the Indian unit of U.K. telecom major Vodafone Group PLC. (VOD.LN), hiked call rates for some of their services in July. In August, second-ranked Reliance Communications said it had also raised call tariffs.

All companies said they had to raise rates following the rising cost of operations.

The Greeks apart, I'm hoping for a return to 170 pdq.

170 touched earlier.

A nice little earner, with a lot more upside.

Nicely through 170 and the chart looks excellent.

good yield from memory too, which will encourage many

Current yield 5.17% + the 4p a share to come from Verizon (payable 31st January) with details released with the interim results on 8 November 2011.

RNS Number : 8389P

Vodafone Group Plc

10 October 2011

MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TO TRANSFORM SMALLHOLDING FARMERS' LIVELIHOODS IN EMERGING MARKETS

Vodafone and Accenture research indicates potential $138 billion addition to

developing world farmers' incomes by 2020

October 10(th) , 2011. Vodafone and Accenture today announced the findings of a ground-breaking new research programme intended to measure the impact of mobile communications on the lives and prosperity of farming communities in some of the world's poorest countries.

The research, which has been welcomed by Oxfam, assesses the potential benefits of new mobile data services such as weather forecasts, commodity market information and mobile banking for smallholding farmers operating in marginal circumstances.

The global population is expected to reach more than 9 billion by 2050, requiring a 70% increase in food production above 2006 levels. Most of this increased yield will have to be achieved within emerging economies, many of whose farmers operate on a small scale and are highly exposed to crop failure and adverse commodity price movements.

Additionally, many farming communities in emerging markets are economically excluded with little or no access to capital or banking services. They therefore lack the means to trade (beyond basic barter arrangements), borrow to acquire new assets or invest to provide their businesses with sufficient resilience to withstand macro-economic changes.

The report, 'Connected Agriculture', concludes that 80% of the potential $138 billion uplift in emerging market farmers' incomes will be derived from the growth of:

- mobile money transfer systems, such as Vodafone M-PESA, which provide farmers with the ability to exchange, save and borrow small amounts of capital as well as take out short-term insurance policies;

- mobile information services providing detailed and localised weather forecasts, crop prices and resource management information; and

- helpline services giving real-time guidance on issues such as pest control and the challenges linked to climate change, including water scarcity.

The research also concludes that a further uplift in agricultural incomes will emerge as a consequence of the use of advanced mobile communications technology in food production and distribution. This includes installing simple low-cost wireless data devices within storerooms, delivery vehicles and distribution centres to enable emerging market farmers and food producers to develop detailed logistics and tracking systems. These in turn will allow farmers and producers to optimise the movement of crops and produce from farms to consumers' homes as well as gather detailed field data.

Vodafone Group Chief Executive Officer Vittorio Colao said: "Smallholding farmers in emerging markets are both vulnerable and vital: without a steep increase in their productivity, it is hard to see how future generations will avoid global food shortages. Mobile is already transforming hundreds of millions of people's lives in ways unimaginable only a decade ago. This report now provides vivid evidence of how mobile can make a material difference in tackling the global food gap."

Peter Lacy, Managing Director, Accenture Sustainability Services, Europe, Africa and Latin America said: "Mobile networks are now more widely established in emerging markets than traditional fixed networks and have the potential to transform market-led agricultural practices. We have identified 12 mobile communications opportunities which can drive real efficiency in food and agriculture value chains, increasing farmers' income by 11% and reducing waste and environmental impact."

Dame Barbara Stocking, Chief Executive Officer, Oxfam said: "With more than 1.5 billion people worldwide dependent on smallholder agriculture - a group that includes half the world's undernourished people - mobile telephony could have significant potential to help the poorest farmers towards food and income security. We particularly welcome the focus that this research places on how core business, rather than corporate philanthropy, can operate to have a positive developmental impact."

Through the 174/75 level.

Details of the Verizon dividend timetable will be communicated with Vodafone's interim results on 8 November 2011.

Half Yearly Report.

Consistent results: growth, investment, cash generation, shareholder returns

. Q2 Group organic service revenue growth +1.3%(*); Europe -1.2%(*), AMAP +8.2%(*)

. H1 EBITDA up 2.3% to 7.5 billion; EBITDA margin 32.0%, down 0.6 percentage points, as expected

. Adjusted operating profit 6.0 billion; full year guidance now improved to 11.4 - 11.8 billion

. Free cash flow 2.6 billion; full year guidance of 6.0 - 6.5 billion confirmed(1)

. Interim dividend 3.05 pence, up 7.0%; special dividend of 4.0 pence to be paid at the same time

thanks skinny

Ex dividend next Wednesday (16th) - and testing 180.

Ex dividend tomorrow.