Vodafone Said to Talk to Hutchison Over Irish Network Merger

Vodafone Group Plc and Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. are in talks to combine their phone networks in Ireland, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

While no deal has been signed, the operators are close to an agreement to pool their infrastructure in a joint venture, the people said, declining to be identified because the discussions aren’t public. The phone companies plan to keep their separate brands and frequencies in Ireland, the people said. Hutchison Whampoa, controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, owns the Three Ireland operator.