UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Dated
September 30, 2024
Commission
File Number: 001-10086
VODAFONE GROUP
PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
(Translation
of registrant’s name into English)
VODAFONE
HOUSE, THE CONNECTION, NEWBURY, BERKSHIRE, RG14 2FN,
ENGLAND
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form
20-F ✓
Form 40-F _
This
Report on Form 6-K contains a Stock Exchange Announcement dated 30
September 2024 entitled ‘VODAFONE & THREE RESPOND
POSSIBLE REMEDIES NOTICE’.
30 September 2024
|
VODAFONE AND THREE RESPOND TO NOTICE OF POSSIBLE
REMEDIES
|
●
Parties
strongly believe the merger is pro-competitive and remain confident
that outstanding issues can be resolved.
●
Two
substantial remedies already tabled: an Ofcom-enforceable
£11bn network investment programme; and the network sharing
agreement and proposed spectrum sale to VMO2.
●
On
retail: while our view is that the CMA's concerns about price
increases are unfounded, we will commit to maintaining tariffs at
£10 or below for two years from the completion of the merger
for value-focused customers on the SMARTY brand, social
tariffs on both the SMARTY and VOXI 4 Now brands, and continue
measures to protect registered vulnerable
customers.
●
On
wholesale: we will provide a reference offer that encourages MVNOs
to access our additional network capacity.
Vodafone and Three's response to the CMA's Notice of Possible
Remedies (Remedies Notice) has been published today.
Vodafone and Three disagree with the CMA's Provisional Findings.
Our merger will be pro-growth, pro-customer, pro-investment and
pro-competitive for the UK. It is a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to transform UK digital infrastructure with £11
billion of network investment.
We continue to constructively engage with the CMA and remain
confident that we can work with them to secure approval. Our
response to the Remedies Notice contains several additional
commitments, which we believe comprehensively address the issues
they have raised.
Vodafone and Three have already made two substantive
commitments:
1.
Our £11 billion
network investment commitment will ensure UK customers enjoy one of
Europe's most advanced networks and it will level the playing field
with the two larger players to drive competitiveness. We are happy
for Ofcom to monitor and enforce this
commitment.
2.
The merger will
extend the network quality benefits well beyond the merged
company's own customer base, by extending it to VMO2's direct and
MVNO customers. This agreement will deliver better quality,
enhanced capacity and greater coverage to over 50 million mobile
customers across the country. On approval of the merger, Vodafone
and Three have also agreed to sell spectrum to VMO2, helping to
create a better alignment of spectrum holdings in the UK
market.
While we do not agree with the CMA's provisional findings that
prices will increase, we continue to explore how we can answer its
concerns. Addressing both the retail and wholesale segments of the
market, our additional commitments include:
●
for retail customers: we will
maintain tariffs at £10 or below for two years from the
completion of the merger for value-focused customers on the SMARTY
brand, social tariffs on both the SMARTY and VOXI 4 Now brands, and
continue measures to protect registered vulnerable customers;
and
●
for wholesale customers: we will
provide a reference offer that encourages MVNOs - the fastest
growing part of the market - to access our additional network
capacity to offer great deals to retail
customers.
The merger of Vodafone and Three is a catalyst for change. It will
deliver a step-change in connectivity to UK customers and bring
best-in-class 5G to every school and hospital in the country.
Transforming the UK's digital infrastructure is also vitally
important for businesses, the public sector, the UK's technological
advancement, and the government's stated mission to kickstart
economic growth.
We will set out comprehensively why the merger is pro-growth,
pro-customer, pro-investment and pro-competive in our forthcoming
response to the CMA's Provisional Findings.
The CMA's final decision on the merger is not due until 7 December,
and we will continue to positively engage with them to resolve
outstanding matters.
- ends -
|
For more information, please contact:
|
|||||
|
Investor
Relations:
|
investors.vodafone.com
|
|
Media
Relations:
|
Vodafone.com/media/contact
|
|
|
Registered Office: Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury,
Berkshire RG14 2FN, England. Registered in England No.
1833679
|
|||||
About Vodafone
Vodafone is a leading European and African telecoms company. We
provide mobile and fixed services to over 330 million customers in
15 countries (excludes Italy which is held as a discontinued
operation under Vodafone Group), partner with mobile networks in 45
more and have one of the world's largest IoT platforms. In Africa,
our financial technology businesses serve almost 79 million
customers across seven countries - managing more transactions than
any other provider.
Our purpose is to connect for a better future by using technology
to improve lives, businesses and help progress inclusive
sustainable societies. We are committed to reducing our
environmental impact to reach net zero emissions by
2040.
For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com follow
us on X at @VodafoneGroup or connect with us on LinkedIn
at www.linkedin.com/company/vodafone.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorised.
|
|
VODAFONE
GROUP
|
|
|
PUBLIC
LIMITED COMPANY
|
|
|
(Registrant)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date:
September 30, 2024
|
By: /s/ M D B
|
|
|
Name: Maaike de Bie
|
|
|
Title: Group General Counsel and Company Secretary
|