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Vodafone agrees Verizon Wireless sale for USD 130 bln
2013-09-03 08:43:00| Telecompaper Headlines
(Telecompaper) Vodafone has reached an agreement to sell its 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless to its US partner Verizon Communications, giving the latter 100 percent control of the mobile operator. Verizon will pay a total USD 130 billion, including USD 58.9 billion in cash, USD 60.2 billion in Verizon shares, USD 5.0 billion in the form of Verizon loan notes, Verizon's 23 percent stake in Vodafone Italia (valued at USD 3.5 billion), and Verizon's assumption of USD 2.5 billion in Vodafone debt related to the US group. Vodafone plans to return 71 percent of the proceeds to its shareholders, while GBP 6 billion will be go to a new three-year investment programme called Project Spring. The latter will see the group accelerate its 4G roll-out to 90 percent of its five main European markets by 2017, enhance 3G coverage and capacity in mature and emerging markets, extend its fixed broadband services based on fibre and VDSL, upgrade distribution outlets, improve the portfolio of enterprise services, speed up the deployment of mobile payment services and develop new systems to improve customer experience and simplify operations. The shareholder pay-out will include a mix of the Verizon shares and cash, worth in total 112 pence per share. In addition Vodafone pledged to increase its 2014 dividend by 8 percent to 11 pence per share. After the divestment of the Verizon Wireless stake, shareholder pay-out and proposed Kabel Deutschland takeover, the company's balance sheet will remain strong, with net debt at 1.0 times EBITDA.
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Category:Telecommunications