Vodafone Group Plc has released a statement in response to an announcement made by Iliad regarding a proposed merger of Vodafone Italy and Iliad Italy. Vodafone confirms that it is supportive of in-market consolidation in countries where it is not achieving appropriate returns on invested capital. The company is exploring options with several parties to achieve this in Italy, including through a merger or a disposal. However, there is no certainty that any transaction will ultimately be agreed upon. Vodafone will make a further announcement if necessary. The statement contains inside information for the purposes of the Market Abuse Regulation.
Vodafone is the largest pan-European and African telecoms company. It provides mobile and fixed services to over 300 million customers in 17 countries and partners with mobile networks in 46 more. The company is also a world leader in the Internet of Things, connecting over 175 million devices and platforms. Vodafone is committed to reducing its environmental impact and aims to reach net zero emissions by 2040. The company is also driving action to reduce device waste and achieve its target of reusing, reselling, or recycling 100% of its network waste by 2025.