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.

Frustrating the wait and progress....

JP Morgan Cazenove Overweight 199.70 199.90 225.00 225.00 Reiterates

Citigroup Buy 199.70 199.90 215.00 215.00 Reiterates

Deutsche Bank Hold 199.70 199.90 216.00 216.00 Reiterates

Goldman Sachs Buy 199.70 199.90 230.00 - Reiterates

Exane BNP Paribas Underperform 0.00 199.90 - 185.00 Reiterates

Well someone is going to be wrong ... so much for being bloody experts , just professional rampers/derampers imo.

Lets hope its the French :-)

Espirito Santo Execution Noble Buy 197.00 200.00 220.00 Reiterates

Bank of America Merrill Lynch Buy 195.00 215.00 220.00 Reiterates

Exane BNP Paribas Underperform 195.00 185.00 193.00 Reiterates

WITHDRAWAL FROM MYANMAR TELECOMS LICENCE PROCESS

VODAFONE & CHINA MOBILE WITHDRAW FROM MYANMAR TELECOMS LICENCE PROCESS


Vodafone Group Plc ("Vodafone") and China Mobile Limited ("China Mobile") today announce their decision to withdraw from the process to award two telecommunications licences in Myanmar.

The Vodafone-China Mobile consortium was amongst twelve short-listed applicants due to submit their final bid to the Myanmar authorities on 3 June. Following the publication of the final licence conditions on 20 May, the Vodafone-China Mobile consortium has reached the decision not to proceed with the process as the opportunity does not meet the strict internal investment criteria to which both Vodafone and China Mobile adhere.

Vodafone and China Mobile will continue to watch Myanmar's progress with interest and will give due consideration to any future opportunities that would meet the companies' investment criteria.

- ends -

Vodafone UK Capex to increase by more than £300 million this year

Telecom Lead Europe: Vodafone UK is planning to increase Capex (capital expenditure) by more than £300 million in 2014, up from £600 million last year.

TMF has it as a sell, mainly because of uncertainty about what will happen to the Verizon cash.

what cash?

The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, which may disappear as rainbows always do.

TOK dream on!

VOD go's Ex. Divi this week paying a rather attractive 6.92p.=3.60%.

Vodafone makes informal bid for Kabel Deutschland - Bloomberg

Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:13am IST
REUTERS - Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L) has made an informal takeover bid within the past week for Germany's biggest cable company, Kabel Deutschland Holding AG (KD8Gn.DE), Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

Takeover talks have not formally begun because Kabel Deutschland believes the price Vodafone suggested was too low, Bloomberg said, citing people who were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter. (link.reuters.com/byr78t)

Sources told Reuters in February that Vodafone was weighing a 10-billion-euro bid for the German cable company to expand its services in Europe's biggest economy.

However, analysts had expected talks to die down after Vodafone struck a deal last month with Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGn.DE) allowing it to offer pay-TV over high-speed broadband to its German customers.

A Vodafone spokesperson declined to comment and Kabel Deutschland was not immediately available for comment outside of business hours.

CONFIRMS PRELIMINARY APPROACH TO KABEL DEUTSCHLAND

Vodafone Group Plc notes the recent speculation regarding a potential offer for Kabel Deutschland Holding AG ("KD") and confirms that it has made a preliminary approach to KD regarding a possible offer for the company. There is no certainty that any offer will ultimately be made nor as to the terms on which any such offer might be made.

Update on the earlier link - Vodafone moves for Kabel Deutschland in quad-play push

LONDON/FRANKFURT | Wed Jun 12, 2013 2:39pm BST
(Reuters) - British mobile firm Vodafone (VOD.L) has approached Kabel Deutschland (KD8Gn.DE) about a bid for Germany's biggest cable operator that could top 7 billion euros (5.9 billion pounds) and help fend off competition in its most important European market.

The world's second-biggest mobile operator has long been linked with a move for the cable group as it seeks to meet the demands of customers who increasingly want to take television, broadband, mobile and fixed-line services - so-called "quad play" - from one provider.

Deutsche Bank Hold 177.55 181.00 216.00 216.00 Reiterates

Jefferies International Hold 177.45 179.00 179.00 Reiterates

Group PLC HSBC Overweight 177.45 230.00 230.00 Retains

JP Morgan Cazenove Overweight 172.95 225.00 - Reiterates

Liberty Global Makes Bid for Kabel Deutschland

Liberty Global Plc (LBTYA), the cable company controlled by John Malone, made a preliminary offer for Kabel Deutschland Holding AG, pitting it against Vodafone Group Plc (VOD) for control of Germany’s largest cable provider, with a market value of 7.3 billion euros ($9.8 billion).