Deals
Vodafone CEO Sees Shifts in U.K. Market After Blocked Deal
- Failure of Three-O2 merger likely to lead to other alliances
- ‘Possibly deals but it’s very hard to see who with whom’
A man talks on a mobile phone outside a Vodafone Group Plc store in London.
Photographer: Simon Dawson/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Vodafone Group Plc Chief Executive Officer Vittorio Colao, reporting improving results in Europe, said he expected more partnerships to develop among U.K. telecommunications companies after a bid to merge two wireless-phone rivals was blocked by European Union regulators.
“Of course there will be moving parts in the system,” Colao said on a conference call with analysts Tuesday after reporting fourth-quarter results that beat analysts’ estimates. “My prediction is that there will be commercial alliances, possibly deals, but it’s very hard to see who with whom.”