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Tag: Vodafone

  • Vodafone India may buy out Telenor India

    Vodafone India may buy out Telenor India

    Vodafone India is reportedly the frontrunner for acquiring Telenor’s Indian spectrum holdings and operations in a deal that could be worth over $1 billion.

    Two people close to the negotiations said that Vodafone India is pursuing the deal to help it better compete in the battle over mobile data customers.

    The sources differed over whether the deal would involve only acquiring Telenor’s Indian spectrum holdings or the company as well. But they both told the publication that Telenor India’s 1800-MHz spectrum is valued at around $1 billion.

    Spectrum is the main draw of the acquisition, but if Vodafone does buy Telenor India’s operations as well it may involve taking on Telenor India’s significant debt and try to remain the operator’s customers in key service areas.

    Vodafone currently only possess 4G spectrum in five of India’s 22 telecoms circles, whereas rival Bharti Airtel and the soon-to-launch Reliance Jio have pan-India holdings and Idea Cellular has 4G spectrum in 10 circles. Acquiring Telenor’s Indian spectrum would help even the playing field.

    Telenor India operates in seven telecoms circles, but its customer base remains relatively low after eight years of operation.

    Vodafone India has declined to comment specifically on the matter, but a spokesperson confirmed that the company is open to options including spectrum trading and M&As.

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  • Vodafone said to plan $2.5b India IPO in Q4

    Vodafone said to plan $2.5b India IPO in Q4

    Reports indicate that Vodafone is preparing to conduct an IPO of its Indian business in the fourth quarter that could raise as much as $2.5 billion.

    The operator is expected to file a draft prospectus for the IPO in August, citing sources close to the deal.

    According to the report, Vodafone has hired Bank of America, Kotak Investment banking and UBS AG as the global co-ordinators for the IPO. The bank selection process commenced in April.

    With a potential value of up to $2.5 billion, the IPO would be India’s largest public listing since 2010. Previous reports indicate that the value of the offer could be much larger, to the extent that the IPO has the potential to be India’s largest ever float.

    Vodafone has been considering an IPO of its Indian operations for years, but the process has been complicated in part by disputes with the government over tax demands and the merger of its operating businesses.

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  • Telenor and Vodafone debut five-service IPX

    Telenor and Vodafone debut five-service IPX

    Telenor and Vodafone have set a new global IPX benchmark by running five separate services over a single IPX interconnect.

    The operators expanded their existing 4G signaling service to include 2G/3G signaling, direct voice, data roaming services and SMS traffic.

    With the expansion Telenor and Vodafone have become among the first operator groups to implement live multi-service IPX.

    Telenor and Vodafone will use the IPX interconnect to provide VoLTE interworking and roaming between each others’ networks. Combined the two operator group have more than 660 million subscribers worldwide.

    Telenor and Vodafone said their IPX platforms have been developed in full compliance with GSMA and i3Forum guidelines to ensure full interoperability on current and future services.

    “Both Telenor and Vodafone are leading players in rolling out 4G in their local markets. This direct IPX interconnect between our mobile groups secures a high service quality with a roam like home customer experience for all Telenor and Vodafone subscribers,” Telenor CMO of global wholesale Ronny Johnsen said.

    “We are constantly challenged by changes in our industry and such partnerships enable mobile groups to adopt new technologies and services.”

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  • Vodafone’s M-Pesa surpasses 25m active users

    Vodafone’s M-Pesa surpasses 25m active users

    Vodafone has announced that its M-Pesa mobile money service now has more than 25 million active customers.

    Across the M-Pesa footprint in Africa, Asia and Europe, active M-Pesa customers increased by 27.1% to 25.4 million for the 12 months ending in March.

    Vodafone offers M-Pesa in 11 countries, having most recently launched in Albania and Ghana. The service debuted in 2007 in Kenya and Tanzania.

    M-Pesa is also available in India, South Africa, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Lethoso, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Romania.

    In India, Vodafone recently launched an M-Pesa smartphone app to allow customers to pay for goods on Ebay, as well as taxi fares and train tickets on India’s national railways.

    Over the past 12 months Vodafone has entered a series of deals with partners to allow for cross-border and cross-service transactions using M-Pesa.

    These include global agreements with the international money transfer hubs TransferTo and MFS, as well as an arrangement to allow direct-money transfer between M-Pesa and users of MTN Mobile Money in seven East African countries.

    “I am delighted and proud that M-Pesa has reached the 25 million active customers milestone,” Vodafone group director of mobile money Michael Joseph said.

    “M-Pesa continues to expand, evolving beyond traditional money transfers to encompass savings and loans, payment of salaries and benefits, settlement of utility bills and school fees and to enable vital health and agricultural solutions.”

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  • Vodafone said to start preparations for Indian IPO

    Vodafone said to start preparations for Indian IPO

    The company has asked interested investment banks to sign NDAs so it can provide more detailed information about the unit, citing people familiar with the matter.

    Vodafone may be ready to pick advisers by next month, the sources said. Around 10% of the Indian unit could be sold as part of the IPO. Vodafone India has a potential valuation of around $20 billion, which would make the IPO the largest in India to date.

    Vodafone has been planning to conduct an IPO for Vodafone India for some time, but macroeconomic, regulatory and market conditions have stood in the way.

    On the record, Vodafone spokesperson Matt Morgan commented that “[w]e have previously stated that we have started preparations for a potential IPO, which includes private conversations with banks, but this is a lengthy process and no decision will be made until we are at the end of it.”

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  • Vodafone India aims to double SME base in Bangalore

    Vodafone India aims to double SME base in Bangalore

    Vodafone India has outlined a strategy aimed at doubling its SME customer base in Bangalore, known as the Silicon Valley of India.

    Vodafone Business Services announced a three-pronged plan to increase its SME coverage in the state of Karnataka – particularly capital Bangalore (Bengaluru) – and across India.

    The three spokes of the strategy are coverage, intelligence and automation. Coverage involves widening the company’s ecosystem of channel partners and advanced resellers.

    Automation will involve making it easier for SMEs to do business with Vodafone through initiatives involving opening a system access partner portal. Intelligence will involve launching six new services tailored for specific industry verticals, to complement the six already launched.

    In addition Vodafone will use the newly launched VBS cloud platform to provide SaaS to Indian SMEs. The operator has also introduced Ready Business 2.0 – an integrated suite of Vodafone communications services designed to help SMEs find answers to business problems.

    “Vodafone Business Services will help growing businesses become ready for their next phase of growth. Our newly launched cloud platform will act as a one-stop shop for SMEs for all their ICT related business needs,” VBS national head for SMEs Ajay Sehgal said.

    “With our Ready Business 2.0 proposition, our fixed, mobile and cloud solutions can empower SMEs in scaling up faster, enhancing operational efficiencies and building a more connected and productive workforce, thus making their business more responsive to customers.”

  • Christian Louboutin Tokyo pop-up

    Christian Louboutin Tokyo pop-up

    Christian Louboutin’s latest spring/summer bag collection is being showcased in a stunning pop-up boutique in Tokyo’s Isetan department store.

    Christian Louboutin pop-up opens in Tokyo 1

    Open on the second level until March 1, the Christian Louboutin Tokyo pop-up was inspired by showgirls and exotic birds and features feathered plinths layered with rich colours plus quirky details.

    Christian Louboutin pop-up opens in Tokyo

    It is the latest retail experience designed by the luxury label in conjunction with customer experience specialist Household, and the second within the Isetan store. Household has also created spaces forChristian Louboutin at Selfridges in London and Manchester in the UK, Brentwood Los Angeles, Printemps Paris, Seibu Tokyo and Osaka’s Hankyu and Daimaru department stores.

    Christian Louboutin pop-up opens in Tokyo 2
    Based in London and Los Angeles, Household works across Asia, Europe and the US for clients including Harrods, Tesco, Unilever and Vodafone.

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