Vodafone and Three Push Back Against CMA’s Concerns Over Merger
Vodafone and Three UK expressed disagreement with the UK Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) provisional findings regarding their planned merger, ...
In Focus: Vodafone
Vodafone Group International telecommunications group focused on mobile, fixed broadband, enterprise connectivity, IoT, 5G, Open RAN, and emerging direct-to-device satellite services. | |
| Overview | Vodafone Group is a UK-based telecommunications operator with major operations across Europe and Africa, including Germany, the UK through VodafoneThree, Türkiye, and Vodacom-led African markets. The company provides mobile and fixed connectivity, business communications, IoT, cloud connectivity, carrier services, and network infrastructure services. |
| Why It Matters | Vodafone remains one of Europe’s most important telecom operators and a significant testbed for network transformation, including 5G Standalone, Open RAN, IoT at scale, network automation, and satellite-to-smartphone connectivity. The VodafoneThree integration is also reshaping the UK mobile market. |
| Founded | Vodafone’s origins trace to Racal Telecom and the first Vodafone mobile call in the UK in 1985. |
| Headquarters | Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom |
| CEO / Leadership | Margherita Della Valle, Group Chief Executive. Jean-François van Boxmeer serves as Chair. |
| Core Technologies | 5G, 5G Standalone, Open RAN, fixed broadband, fiber access, mobile core, IoT connectivity, private networks, cloud connectivity, SD-WAN, security services, satellite direct-to-device connectivity. |
| Key Products / Platforms | Vodafone Business Vodafone IoT VodafoneThree Consumer Mobile Enterprise Connectivity |
| Major Milestones | Vodafone completed the Vodafone UK and Three UK merger in 2025, creating VodafoneThree. In 2026, Vodafone announced an agreement to acquire CK Hutchison’s remaining 49% stake, subject to regulatory approvals. Vodafone is also advancing European Open RAN deployments and a European direct-to-device satellite service venture with AST SpaceMobile. |
| Target Markets | Telecom Enterprise IoT 5G NTN |
| Editorial Coverage | Converge Digest coverage should track Vodafone’s mobile network modernization, VodafoneThree integration, Open RAN vendor strategy, enterprise connectivity, IoT platforms, private networks, European satellite direct-to-device initiatives, and telecom consolidation across Europe. |
| Industry Context | Vodafone is repositioning around a more focused Europe-and-Africa footprint after portfolio simplification. Its strategic relevance is tied to mobile network scale, enterprise services, fiber and fixed-mobile convergence, Open RAN deployment economics, and new coverage models using LEO satellite connectivity. |
| Profile Updated | July 2026 |
| Related Knowledge Hubs | Vodafone | Telecom | Open RAN | Space Networking & Orbital Data Centers | 5G | IoT |
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Vodafone Business launches AI-driven SD-LAN with Juniper
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Vodafone to sell its Spanish subsidiary for €5 billion
Vodafone Group agreed to sell 100% of its Spanish subsidiary to Zegona Communications plc for at least €4.1 billion in ...
Orange and Vodafone test Open RAN in Romania
Orange and Vodafone have completed 4G calls over a cluster of shared commercial network sites in a rural area near ...
Vodafone looks to Amazon’s Project Kuiper to extend rural reach
Vodafone and Vodacom plan to use Amazon's Project Kuiper’s network to extend the reach of 4G/5G services to more of ...
Vodafone implements Open RAN across U.K. with Samsung
Samsung is supporting Vodafone's large-scale deployment of Open RAN across 2,500 mobile sites in Wales and the South-West of England. ...
Vodafone deploys Nokia’s 5G monetization software
Vodafone started deploying Nokia’s Converged Charging (NCC) software in multiple European countries, enabling rating and charging for 5G services. NCC ...
Vodafone deploys Ericsson’s single antenna technology
Vodafone has begun deploying Ericsson’s compact active-passive antenna in the UK to bring greater 5G capacity, coverage and performance without ...
Iberdrola clean power for Vodafone in Germany, Portugal, Spain
Vodafone signed power purchase agreements (PPA) with Iberdrola to deliver clean energy in Spain and Portugal, adding to a recent ...
Emirates Telecommunications (e&) expands alliance Vodafone
Vodafone and Emirates Telecommunications (e&, formerly Etisalat) announced a strategic relationship that establishes e& as a cornerstone shareholder of Vodafone. ...
Vodafone appoints Margherita Della Valle as Group CEO
Vodafone has appointed Margherita Della Valle as its new Group Chief Executive. Della Valle currently serves as the company's CFO. ...
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