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.

Tantalisingly close to 172.5.

Just bought back @172.34

UBS retains its Buy TP 200.00.

Liberum Capital reiterates Buy TP 180.00.


The dividend (including the Verizon payment) arrived this morning - which was nice !

RNS Number : 8419W

Vodafone Group Plc

06 February 2012

6 February 2012

VODAFONE AND WIND HELLAS TERMINATE DISCUSSIONS RELATING TO A POTENTIAL BUSINESS COMBINATION

Vodafone Group and Largo Limited, the sole shareholder of Wind Hellas, confirm that they have agreed to terminate discussions relating to a potential business combination between Vodafone Greece and Wind Hellas.

- ends -

RNS Number : 8231W
Vodafone Group Plc
04 February 2012


PIRAMAL HEALTHCARE TO ACQUIRE A FURTHER 5.5% STAKE IN VODAFONE INDIA


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 India Limited ("VIL") from ETHL Communications Holdings Limited ("Essar") for a cash consideration of approximately INR 30.07 billion (£385 million1) taking Piramal's total shareholding in VIL2 to approximately 11%.

The transaction follows the settlement between Vodafone and Essar over the sale of Essar's approximately 33% stake in VIL, announced in July 2011, and the purchase by Piramal of approximately 5.5% of the issued share capital of VIL from Essar in August 2011. This completes the exit of the Essar group as a shareholder in VIL.

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

- ends -

Interim management Statement.


9 February 2012


Strong performance in growth markets; southern Europe becoming more challenging


Group service revenue growth +0.9%(*); or +3.1%(*) excluding mobile termination rate cuts

Strong service revenue growth in India +20.0%(*), Vodacom +8.0%(*) and Turkey +23.5%(*); continued progress in Germany +0.7%(*) and the UK +1.1%(*)

Economic conditions in southern Europe showing further deterioration: greater service revenue decline in Italy, -4.9%(*); fall in Spain broadly stable at -8.8% (*) benefiting from our commercial actions

Continued strong growth in our US associate, Verizon Wireless; service revenue +6.8%(*) driven by strong customer and data revenue growth

Data revenue +21.8%(*); European smartphone penetration now 24.4% (Q3 10/11: 16.5%)

Free cash flow £1.5 billion; net debt £25.5 billion after £0.8 billion proceeds from Polkomtel disposal, £0.8 billion of share buybacks and £1.0 billion of spectrum payments

Full year guidance for adjusted operating profit and free cash flow confirmed

..Vodafone distances itself from CWW speculation

By James Hurley | Telegraph – 28 minutes ago

......
Vodafone (LSE: VOD.L - news) has distanced itself from reports that it is weighing up a £700m bid for troubled telecoms company Cable & Wireless Worldwide.

The collapse in CWW's market value since its demerger from Cable & Wireless in 2010 has reportedly attracted a number of suitors, also said to include private equity firm Apax Partners.

However, sources at the mobile phone group dismissed the speculation and said a bid was not being formally considered.

Analysts have suggested that CWW, which sells telecoms to large companies and the public sector, would be worth far more if it was broken up and sold off than it is as a single listed entity.

Any acquisition is likely to be delayed until CWW's new chief executive Gavin Darby is seen to have stabilised the embattled business.

CWW, worth £530m at Friday's closing price, has lost four-fifths of its value in two years, with a string of profit warnings, suspension of the dividend and the departure of two chief executives hitting its share price.

The group owns a global network of undersea cables, a UK broadband business, data centres and a hosted IT operation.

Mr Darby, who will provide details of his turnaround plan alongside a trading statement on Thursday, oversaw a 25pc reduction to the UK workforce when at Vodafone.

He is under pressure for provide more details on the financial performance of CWW's numerous divisions, which may make it easier for would be acquirers to pick up parts of the group.

It has been suggested that Vodafone is keen to purchase the company's main UK operations, which sell telecoms to companies.

The FTSE 100 mobile operator wants to grow its corporate business as the consumer phone market becomes saturated. Apax Partners, meanwhile, has a specific telecoms investment arm.

Vodafone, Apax and CWW declined to comment.

..

RNS Number : 2649X

Vodafone Group Plc

13 February 2012

13 February 2012

RESPONSE TO PRESS SPECULATION

Vodafone notes the recent press speculation regarding Cable & Wireless Worldwide plc ("CWW").

Vodafone regularly reviews opportunities in the sector and confirms that it is in the very early stages of evaluating the merits of a potential offer for CWW. There is no certainty that an offer will be made nor as to the terms on which any offer might be made. Any offer, if made, will be in cash but Vodafone reserves the right to change the specie of consideration. A further announcement will be made in due course, if appropriate.

In accordance with Rule 2.6a of the Takeover Code, Vodafone is required to, by not later than 5pm on 13 March 2012, either announce a firm intention to make an offer in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Takeover Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Takeover Code applies unless the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers has consented to an extension of this deadline.

- ends -

skin just added 14397 . for the div

VOD not very happy today - maybe the CW. situation is about to be resolved.

skin which way and how much?

I wouldn't/couldn't begin to guess and I maybe totally wrong!

Your instinct, Skinny?

Much like anyone else's - hopeful - especially as I hold both!

skin its either a win for CW.holders or its not, the question is whether the successful bidder is VODA or TATA.

halifax - I understand the nuances of the situation - I just am not an advisor in any capacity - ask my 3 grown up children :-)

thanks. I hold CW. from 17.5p, sold half at 31.5. rest is left for 50-60p.
I still hold my initial purchase at 75.5p!!! the same for cwc!!!

Good luck to us all then! :-)

If VOD drop much more, I may add some more for the yield.

today VODA lost almost £500,000 on their shares they bought back yesterday, glad their shareholders can afford it.

final div is 6.5p this is correct