Vodafone snaps up cable operators in €18bn deal
Vodafone has agreed to buy Liberty Global's operations in four European countries in a deal worth €18.4bn (£16.1bn).The deal sees the UK-based telecoms giant take control of cable operators in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania.Shares rose 1% in early trading.Vodafone said the "transformative" purchase, which adds to existing operations in Germany and Spain, would make it the leading "next generation network" in Europe with 54 million cable and fibre homes on its network.Including partnerships and wholesale arrangements, the deal will give Vodafone a reach of 110 million homes and businesses, it said.The widely-anticipated deal shifts the balance of mobile operator Vodafone's revenues and earnings further towards fixed line and TV services and also means that Europ...